Almost Goddess
by markergal
Summary: Aikarina, or better known by the gods as Rina, is the daughter of Aphrodite. Aphrodite has many children, but none are like her. Rina's father was a demigod. The combined powers of a demigod and a goddess has produced a child of unimaginable power. What happens when Zeus forces her out of Olympus and to the famous Camp Halfblood? Starts at The Titan's Curse CURRENTLY IN EDIT
1. Chapter 1

**Edited 7/31/2015**

Twigs snap under his feet as he creeps by my hiding place in a bush. My hand covers my mouth so that he will not hear my loud breaths, though I'm sure he can hear my heartbeat knock against my ribs anyways. His muddy shoes stop then slowly walk the other way. The sound of his footsteps becomes quieter and quieter.

I don't dare move a muscle. One wrong move and my cover will be completely blown.

The thorns of the bush dig into my skin. They leave pinpricks of glittery blood on my body. It's not as golden as the gods' —I would've been a glittering lighthouse in my spot if it was— nor is it as red as mortals'. The small injuries are inconsequential but annoying. I bite my fist to keep myself calm.

The footsteps return. He walks past my spot again while muttering several Greek curses under his breath.

I lean forward to see further down the path. The garden in front of me is empty. The only living souls here are me and the butterflies.

Just when I this he's gone, two hands yank me out of my spot. He holds tight to my waist when I squirm to get away. I jab my elbow into his stomach, expecting him to bend over in pain, but he just stands still. I scream so loud that I'm sure Hades heard me from all the way in the underworld.

Apollo quickly covers my mouth with his hand. I look up and see him choking back snickers. "Dear Zeus, Rina. You almost burst my eardrums," he jokes. Apollo's blonde hair flops into his eyes in the slight breeze. His eyes light up with amusement. Behind the humor is a power only a god can hold

If one takes a long look at Apollo, they won't think of him as anything more than an eighteen-year-old boy who hung out at the beach. His tank top, worn out tennis shoes, messy haircut, and shorts don't help give him a godly appearance, but Apollo likes it that way. He says it makes him more 'relatable' and 'hip'.

"Screw you, Apollo. You didn't have to sneak up on me like that," I jab.

He shrugs. "I can't help it if you're terrible at hiding."

Apollo looks like he's going to say something, but pauses. He grins at me with a glint in the eye that I know too well.

My hand hopelessly clutches his arm. "Apollo, please don't," I beg.

He holds up his hand for silence. "Be quiet, Rina. You sound like my sister. It's not my fault when I feel a haiku coming on." Apollo's pose changed to a more dignified one. "_What an awful spot. I found you in five minutes. I can do much better_," he recites. Apollo smiles at me with a triumphant look.

I sit cross-legged on the ground. My head tilts in thought. "Last one was six syllables. For it to be a proper haiku, it has to be five," I remind him.

He furrows his eyebrows. "Fine. Change it to 'I can do better' That's five." Apollo counts the syllables several times on his fingers. When he's sure that he's right, he places his hands back to his side.

I shake my head at him then lean back on the ground. The grass tangles itself into my already messy hair. "I don't think you can do better."

Apollo bounces up into the air and lands next to me on the grass. "Never doubt a god."

I raise an eyebrow at him. My bright blonde hair catches in my mouth. I wipe it away. "There's a reason you're not the god of hide-and-seek," I tease. I poke his side.

He points his finger with a fake scowl on his face. He places on a serious mask, but I know underneath he is holding back his laughter. Apollo can't be truly threatening. It goes against his very nature. "You watch your mouth or I'll tan you to a crisp with the sun," he growled.

I scoff. "What are you going to do? Drive your chariot too close to Olympus?"

He crosses his muscular arms over his chest. "Maybe. Maybe I'll just use my godly powers to shoot sun rays out of my hands." Apollo grabs a handful of grass and tosses it at me after looking cautiously around the garden for Aphrodite. If she saw him messing up my appearance like that, she would have his head on a platter.

I crinkle my nose. "You can do that?"

His stern façade crumbles back to his usual, joking self. "No! I'm a god, not a superhero." Apollo throws another handful of grass at me. This time I return fire.

A snap of a twig jerks us both out of our playful game.

I look at Apollo in mock fear. "It's probably Athena coming to find me for our afternoon tutoring."

He places a hand over his heart. "We can't have you learning, can we?" Apollo grabs my wrist and we melt into the air. The colorful garden becomes one with me before fading to a dark-grey fuzziness.

I realize that I closed my eyes during the transition. When I open them, we are high above the garden in an olive tree. The branches bend to give me a comfortable place to sit. I stroke the bark of the tree affectionately.

I pluck an olive and put it in my mouth. Apollo does the same, except for the eating it part. He finds it a better idea to throw it at me. Every time an olive sticks into my thick locks is a small victory for him. With the sticks, leaves, and olives in my hair, I know that if Aphrodite could see me she would be disgusted.

"Stop that," I hiss as the footsteps grow closer.

He raises a golden eyebrow. His eyes flash the same color. "Why should I?" Apollo tosses another olive

"Because Aphrodite will kill you if she sees the condition I'm in, and you're only making it worse with the olives!" I hiss.

"I'm a god, I can't be killed," he laughs.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Oh, she will find a way. You know her as well as I do," I mutter. The wrath of my birth-mother makes him stop immediately.

Athena stops right underneath the tree. Her gray eyes scan the garden for any movement. Her dark green dress seems to blend in with the ground. I don't notice her until she is right below us. When she sees nobody in the garden, she prepares to leave. That is until Apollo tries to throw another olive at me. It bounces off my head and lands at her feet.

She tilts her head to see Apollo and me sitting in the tree. We are covered in dirt from a day of extreme hide-and-seek in the garden (not my idea), leaves are in our hair from running through bushes and other plants to escape after irritating several of Poseidon's horses (again, not my idea), and I am covered with olives. We all know whose fault that is.

Her gaze glances over me until settling on Apollo. Her steely eyes morph into arrows that pierce Apollo's skull. He flinches away from her harsh glare.

"Why did you put Rina in a tree and why is she absolutely filthy?" she asks with a calm and steady voice. Her impatience is effectively hidden behind her soft yet razor-sharp words.

Apollo's face falls slack with disbelief. "Why are you blaming me? Who knows, maybe this is all Rina's fault!" He blinks and his body and clothes become completely clean.

I slap his arm for throwing me under the bus. He glares at me then turns his attention back to the increasingly irritated Athena.

Here comes the disappointment, I think to myself.

"Because you are irresponsible whether you accept it or not. Always has been. Ever since Rina came into our lives you have tried to mark your childish way on her impressionable mind. None of the gods would doubt for a second that this is of your doing. "Athena's lips curl into disgust at my filthy dress, hair, and body.

Apollo looks like he is about to argue, but gives up when her words ring true.

The goddess has some sense of mercy, for his sake. "Don't you have duties to take care of?" Athena asks, her face softening.

Apollo nods. He slaps a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck, kiddo," He whispers. We both know what will happen next: one of her famous lectures. The air folds around the god. It's like the light is bending right around him as he disappears before my eyes.

I carefully climb down the tree so that I don't tear my dress more than I already have. Once Athena can see me clearly, she frowns, looking awfully like Aphrodite whenever I come to her looking like this. And since Apollo had taken to keeping me company most days, it's every single day.

Athena sighs. "It may be wise to fix yourself. There are important decisions about to be made and you need to be at your best," she tells me as she tries to dust off my dress. Her words sound like they have a meaning more than just fixing my appearance. After several moments of dusting off my once white dress, she gives up. "Oh, you can just do it."

I nod and close my eyes. Power surges through my veins. My hair untangles itself. Each strand crawls to its proper place by an invisible force. My dress straightens itself out and the dust rolls off it like water on a raincoat.

Athena nods with approval. The expression on her face reminds me so much of Aphrodite that I'm beginning to think that she is rubbing off on the goddess.

"Much better. Now, we must begin your studies at once."

She turns briskly and walks to a section of the garden designed for me. There are a small table and a chair made just for my height and weight.

Athena waves her hand. A stack of worn books appear. She reads spines until she finds the proper one. Athena hands me the leather-bound book.

"We will start with battle strategies," she states, not looking for my input. I refrain from groaning. Today is going to be a long day

I hand Athena the work she assigned me to finish. She has made me write out dozens of battle plans with detailed instructions on how to carry them out. It's a shame that most of it is more memorize and recite than actually understanding the topic, but Athena doesn't notice. The worst part of it all is that it had to be written in Greek.

She glances over each plan. I stare at her face for any sign of disapproval, but I see none. Her expression is a rock; it doesn't change.

"You did well. We can cut our tutoring short."

I openly gape at the goddess. She has never done this before. If there is anything that Athena values above all else, it is education. Sometimes we end later than usual, but never shorter than we mean to.

"Are you sure? We only worked for an hour," I question cautiously.

Her mouth curves into a smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I just assumed you would want some time to relax and enjoy yourself. It doesn't hurt to take a break from your studies every once in a while"

I stand up in a daze. She looks concerned for me. But why? I bow and mumble a thank you. I rush out of the garden to the streets of Olympus.

I blow my bangs out of my face in annoyance. My whole afternoon will be spent doing nothing. Apollo is gone and Athena has cut my tutoring short, which usually would go far into the afternoon. I consider seeing what the other gods are doing, but they are usually busy. For some reason, they are more panicked than usual. Maybe it has something to do with Hermes's son, Luke, and Kronos. Or perhaps with Thalia, Zeus's daughter, turning sixteen sometime next week. If she has her birthday and she is the child the prophecy speaks of, the fate of Olympus will be decided in a matter of days.

Though they do not talk about it often —at least not in public spaces—they are worried about the future. Some of the minor gods gossip that the titans will rise up again and the world will reform to what it was before the gods. But that's only rumors. It's impossible for that to happen. The gods will never allow it get that far.

A street vendor lures me over with the promise of fruit. I examine the stand with an extravagant variety of fruit from all around the world lined up in neat rows. I decide to be unoriginal and pick an apple. It is only when I'm about to bring it to my lips is when I realize that I have no drachmas with me.

I place it back on the stand. The vendor frowns.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any coins. I can't pay you," I say, truly sorry that I can't buy the amazing apple. It looks as if someone handpicked it and painted the red with a small paintbrush.

She waves her hand as if it is nothing. The woman looks at me with the same expression Athena was looking at me: concern. "Nonsense, Aikarina. This is on the house"

I flinch at the use of my full name, but I don't correct her. I try to smile, but her expression is starting to worry me. One look around the street and I see everyone sneaking glances or openly staring. With trembling hands, I grab the apple and nervously chew on it.

I walk fast down the street to escape the eyes. My speed keeps increasing the more eyes that are on me and soon enough I am sprinting to the only place I know I will be alone. Their eyes follow me but thankfully disappear behind plants and tree branches.

The garden's emptiness welcomes me. The only person here is me. Or so I think. At my table, Ares, God of War, polishes one of his many swords. He runs a clean rag over the metal, holds it up to the light, then repeats. Ares gives an exhausted sigh but doesn't look up.

"Hello, Aikarina. Or should I say Rina, apparently you like that more," he comments. Ares sounds terribly bored. I doubt that he wants to see me. While the feeling is mutual, I can't help but be offended that my grandfather doesn't want to see me.

I bow slightly, knowing that he is expecting me to, even if he's not looking. "Hello Lord Ares. I don't mean to sound rude but why are you here?"

His face turns to me. Ares 's eyes are like there is a fire burning behind them. I want to fight something, anything, but I quickly repress it. I'm not sure if it's because of his aura or my genetic connection to him. My father told me before he was executed by the gods, that our relation to Ares makes us more aggressive than others. He warned me about giving in to the temptation of the fight. There is no reason to give in to it now.

"Your mother is sworn on oath to secrecy, as are most of the gods. I'm not. At least not yet. Nobody suspects that I will e the one to let the cat out of the bag. She asked me to give you a heads up on what's happening." Ares sheaths his sword with a loud swiping noise.

I furrow my eyebrows, trying to think of a reason important enough to send Ares. Ever since the incident where he tried to start a war between the gods a year or two ago, she told me to stay away from him to keep up appearances. Now, she is arranging for us to meet.

"Well?" He taps his food.

"Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to ask what it is? I know you want to. People have been giving you sappy looks all day, haven't they?"

I look at him confused for several seconds. "Okay... What does she want you to talk to me about?"

He sucks in a deep breath and I know it's going to be a long story. I lean against a tree so my feet won't get tired.

"It's about your genetics. My son and your mother. Something that clearly wasn't supposed to happen. I'm not going to sugar coat it; you're a mistake. It is unheard of for a demigod to procreate with a god. Of course, you already know this. Your father was punished and so was your mother, yada yada yada. Now people are starting to wonder about you. You're more than a halfblood, less than a god, so we're not quite sure what to do with you. Long story short, you're either going to die or get booted off of Olympus."

I place a hand up to my forehead to keep my world steady. It's as if my hand is my anchor to this and if I move it even an inch, I will fly out to space. A sliver of hope says that Ares is lying, but it makes sense in its own way.

"Is that why the gods are meeting more often?" I look up at Ares with wide eyes. He glares at me with a gaze so intense I feel guilty like I did something wrong.

He nods. "They're arguing like crazy. Some want to you stay on Olympus, but that's a lost cause. There's no way the 'guy in charge' will let that happen. Someone said that we should send you down to Camp Halfblood to live with the other children. Several want you dead. Just end the threat now. I'll let you imagine who said that."

It doesn't take a detective to know that is was either Zeus or Ares who brought up the last option. Neither has been very fond of me. I try to hold myself back from lunging for his throat, but I know that is just what he wants. He's the God of War after all.

He chuckles as he walks away. "The decision is tomorrow at sundown. Don't be late." With that, he leaves me alone in my garden at the one time when I wish I wasn't.

This is more than I can handle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the nice reviews! I really appreciate it!**

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><p>Sunlight dances into my room through the tiny window. The white curtains on the window do not help block out the sun, but I like it this way. I prefer to wake up to the sun more than to an alarm clock. It's much more relaxing and I would be lying if I said that Apollo's influence wasn't the reason that I liked waking up to the morning glow.<p>

I walk up to a vanity my mother gave me when I was born. She told me that it is made from the wood of the last tree in an ancient forest. It's rather sad when you think about it. The vanity is covered with unnecessary trinkets and jewelry. There is some makeup and a hairbrush on it but its more for decoration since I don't need it.

I look up in the mirror and gasp. I'm a mess. My hair is in tangles from tossing and turning last night. There are dark bags under my eyes and my face is unusually pale. Ares's words swirl around in my head. That has to be the reason for my poor night's sleep.

I wave my hand over my reflection in the mirror. My hair untangles itself. The dark bags disappear. It's as if nothing happened.

I frown at myself. People have always told me that I look young for my age, whatever that means. I don't know how old I am. Nobody had told me and I doubt they will. I wish I at least knew when my birthday is, but birthdays aren't a very large thing in Olympus.

A dark brown color starts at my roots and swirls down to the tips like colored dye being dropped in water. The dark brown spreads across my hair until every strand is the same color. I examine my face. I think I look older. The brown locks makes me more like an adult, I think. My hair shrinks from almost down from my waist to right below my shoulders. I definitely look older with this hairstyle.

I don't know what I hope to gain by changing my looks. Maybe I'm hoping that the gods will see me as a more mature person, and hopefully this will make them want me to stay on Olympus. It's unlikely but I can't help but grip to the small hope with all my strength.

I walk over to my closet to find the most refined, mature dress I own. In the end I wear a red dress that goes down to my ankles. Aphrodite will be pleased with it at least.

I walk out of my bedroom door. Instantly I am on the street of Olympus. Once I close the door, Apollo is by my side. He frowns at my hair.

"Why'd you change your hair?" he asks. Apollo doesn't bother to wipe the frown off his face. My cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Maybe it was a bad idea to change my hair.

"You don't like it?" I mumble.

He shakes his head. "Nah. No offense but you're not a brunette. You should go back to blonde."

I grimace at his brutal honesty, but that's Apollo. The brown in my hair quickly morphs into a bright blonde color it was before, but I keep it at its short length.

Apollo nods in approval. "I have some time before a meeting so I thought I could kill time spending it with my favorite girl, who isn't my daughter, of course."

I smile cheerily. He laughs and ruffles up my hair. I quickly force each strand to go back to its place so it looks like nothing has touched me. Apollo snaps his fingers dramatically. A bench moves behind him before he sits down. He raises an expecting eyebrow at me. "So, what do you want to do?"

My eyes shine in excitement. Usually it is Apollo who decides what to do. I don't argue since he is a god and practically a father-figure to me. Though he is less scary than the others, I'm sure he can turn me into an insect or something with a click of his fingers. I don't put it past him to do just that for a few laughs.

"I've always wanted to ride a pegasus," I say with a dreamy expression. Once I see Apollo's mischievous look, I know I'm going to have to set him straight. "With Poseidon's permission, of course," I add before he can get any ideas.

He groans. "But that take all the fun out of it!" Apollo opens his mouth as if to complain but he quickly shuts it. He looks like he was just reminded of something awful. The god's face quickly morphs back to a happy, cheerful one. Apollo tugs me towards Poseidon's favorite resting place.

After a long run, we finally find him. Poseidon is fishing in a small pond. He stands on the edge of the pond, right above the water. When he catches a fish, he whispers kind words to it, then sets it free. The fish that come out of the pond range from simple freshwater to colorful ones only found in the ocean.

"Poseidon?" He looks over at me with a smile. Poseidon doesn't look surprised at my arrival. I bow my head out of respect. Apollo just nods at him in acknowledgment.

"Yes, Aikarina? Oh, I always forget. You like being called Rina instead. I completely understand; It's a rather big mouthful"

I bounce up and down on the top of my feet nervously. "I..." Apollo coughs into his fist. "We just wanted to know if we could ride a pegasus"

Poseidon's eyes light up with interest. He motions me to follow him towards the stables. Apollo follows close behind.

The horses whinny when Poseidon approaches. They make a sound of appreciation when he strokes them as he passes by.

We pass by many stalls until we reach the last ones. In the last four stalls, there is a pegasus. The white horses have huge wings that fold to their sides. Each wing is about double their body length. I'm surprised that they aren't cramped in the tiny stalls, but they seem comfortable.

"Beautiful creatures. Do you know the story of how they were created?" Poseidon asks. There is a glint in his eye when he looks over at me.

I stay silent for several moments. "The first pegasus sprang from the blood of Medusa after Perseus beheaded her. From then on they have been breeding, until now where there are dozens of them."

He nods. "That is correct. They are gentle but noble creatures. If I allow you to ride one, will you show it the respect it deserves?"

"Yes, sir," I whisper. I reach out and touch the horse. It nuzzles my hand, making me smile. I look up at Poseidon to find him smiling too.

Poseidon chuckles. "Apollo, I believe it would be best if you didn't ride one."

Apollo's mouth falls open in shock. "Why not?" he exclaims.

Poseidon rumbles with laughter. "Even though she is a young girl, she has shown to be more mature than you at times. Don't take offense, but the last time I let you near a pegasus, the roofs of all the cottages had to be repaired"

If a god can look bashful, then Apollo looks exactly that. I feel sorry for Apollo. Everyone thinks he is irresponsible when it's the opposite. Sure, he does some rather stupid things, but he's not completely unreliable. If he was, I would have died during one of his schemes years ago.

Poseidon guides one of the horses out of the stall. It gazes happily at the god as he coaxes it out of the stables.

"Now, the most important thing to remember is that it deserves respect. They are proud creatures. If you don't respect it, it won't respect you." He tells me.

I reach my hand out to see if its mane is as soft as it looks. Once I feel it I almost gasp. It's softer. It moves it's head for me to stroke it more. In some ways the pegasus reminds me of a friendly dog.

"I understand, Lord Poseidon." I'm sure that my eyes are as big as dinner plates as I stare at the majestic horse.

He clasps his hands together to form some sort of step for me. After the initial shock that a god would be doing this, I place my foot between his hands and push myself on the horse.

"Hold onto the mane and trust 'ol Abraxas. He's used to first-timers. Just stay on. He'll fly a path I will tell him so you won't have to worry about steering."

"Thank you so much. I have always wanted to ride one," I rush out. A smile is permanently plastered on my face.

Poseidon winks. "It's nothing. Now, hold on!" He stares intently at the pegasus.

The pegasus makes a loud grunt then runs forward at top speed. He unfolds his wings to their full length. I hold tight to his mane, as tight as I can without hurting him. The wings pump up and down at a fast pace. Soon enough, we rise above Olympus.

Down below, the minor gods stroll down the streets. I can see the street vendors sell overpriced items and the customer reluctantly handing over drachmas. The wind flows through my hair, but I'm unsatisfied. I let out a sigh and my hair grows to its original length. Finally, it's long enough to fly behind me like in the paintings.

The pegasus flies around Olympus then back to the stables. Abraxas lands on the ground gracefully. There Apollo and Poseidon are waiting.

Apollo smirks at my once again long hair. "Got tired of short hair while on Abraxas?"

I have my hair straighten itself out then form a side braid. "It was fun while it lasted, but I need my long hair." I reply.

Poseidon extends his hand to help me down. I take it and drop off of the horse.

I bow to Poseidon. "Thank you Lord Poseidon."

"You're quite welcome, Rina. Apollo, remember what we spoke about?" He turns to look at Apollo who is sickly pale.

"Yes, I remember." he replies quietly.

Poseidon pulls me close so that he can whisper something to me. "Brace yourself."

When he pulls away, I am clearly confused. He doesn't bother trying to explain what he means to me. Maybe it's about the decision tonight, but how can he possibly know that I know about it?

Poseidon waves goodbye then leaves us alone in the stables.

"What was he talking about? What did you two talk about?" I ask. I hang on to Apollo's arm so that he can't escape from answering my question.

Apollo covers his worried expression with a million-dollar grin. "It's nothing really. Don't worry about it"

"But what if it is really important!" I insist.

He shakes me off his arm and looks incredibly uncomfortable. "Rina, I don't want you to worry about it, for your sake," he begs. For some reason, I have a feeling he means not to worry about it for his sake.

I tug on the sleeves of my sweater. "Is it about the decision at sundown of whether or not I will die?"

He gapes in shock. Apollo opens his mouth to speak but closes it as he comes to a revelation. He only mumbles one word. "Ares."

Tears start to cloud my vision and my chest tightens up from the anticipated tears. "Is it true? Lord Ares wasn't lying, was he?"

Apollo shakes his head. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm sworn to secrecy so I can't speak more about this, but Ares wasn't lying about whatever he told you."

I suck in a sharp intake of breath. So it was all true. My eyes begin to sting from holding back the tears, but I refuse to cry. Especially in front of Apollo.

"Is there anything I can do to make them want me to stay in Olympus?" I ask at last.

Apollo clenches his fist in irritation. "Honestly, I really wish I could tell you what is happening. It's making me furious that they would keep this from you, but I can't say anything about it." He looks like he's going to combust but then his face lights up. Apollo straightens his back and smirks at me. "The oath of secrecy didn't say I couldn't bring you to the meeting."

I look at the god in shock. "Are you sure that Lord Zeus won't be angry?"

He chuckles. "Of course he will be angry, but no one said I couldn't do it. The meeting starts in a little while so we should start heading towards the throne room"

I frown at Apollo. This has to be one of his most dangerous ideas yet. I'm sure that the minute I walk into the throne room, Zeus will smite me with one of his lightning bolts before I can say a word. Apollo doesn't share the same concerns as I do, otherwise he would be leading me the opposite direction.

Before I know it, I'm standing at the front of the throne room. The thrones are shaped in a 'u' and are made for giants. Several of the other gods are already there. They talk among themselves but stop when they see me.

"Apollo, why have you brought her here?" A woman worriedly asks. Her dark brown hair rolls down her back in a cascade of curls. Red-painted lips shine in the torchlight and her eyes are a magnificent bright blue. If I wasn't for her tone of voice, I wouldn't have recognized her as my mother.

She steps from her throne and shrinks from about twenty feet to normal human size. Aphrodite hurries over to us. She clutches my arm as if to drag me away before Zeus arrives.

Apollo places a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. I'm just bringing her to sit in on the discussion. She has a right, you know," Apollo says while trying to calm himself. His eyes shine with power that dares Aphrodite to argue with him.

She straightens her back proudly. Aphrodite lifts her eyebrows at the god. "She cannot be here. If Zeus—"

"There is no rule that says she can't listen in on her own trial," Apollo points out.

Aphrodite bites on her lower lip. She thinks for several seconds then nods in agreement. "I suppose you're right." Aphrodite notices me staring at her newly sculpted face. She smiles and pats her hair. "Do you like it? I just changed my appearance this morning. I figured it was time for a change." She giggles like a schoolgirl.

"You look beautiful, Aphrodite," I compliment politely. Her smile widens.

There is a loud rumble of thunder in the throne room. Apollo and Aphrodite leave my side to take their place on their thrones. The floor shakes, then in a burst of light Zeus is on his throne. He gazes thoughtfully across the room until his sharp eyes land on me.

"Aikarina, why are you trespassing in my throne room?" he asks. A rumble of thunder echoes after every word. I swear that the room is buzzing with electricity.

Aphrodite glares at Apollo. He shifts in his seat nervously then clears his throat to get Zeus's attention. Zeus's sharp eyes are torn off me and now on Apollo. The poor god is no more comfortable under Zeus's scrutiny than Aphrodite's.

"I brought her here. I thought that if she were my daughter, I would want her to hear the discussion about her fate. It is only fair," he says slowly and calmly in order to not offend the powerful god.

Surprisingly Zeus agrees. "Very well. She may stay for the discussion." I look around the room to see the other gods just as shocked at Zeus for agreeing so easily. Most of the times he is very stubborn and fights to get his way. It is out of character for him to do this, but I'm still thankful.

He snaps his finger. A stone chair comes up behind me. I quickly sit down before he reconsiders.

Zeus clasps his hands together. "Now, let's start the trial."

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><p>It has been several hours and the gods are still arguing without any sign of letting up. I have taken to covering my ears to protect them from the loud yells, but it's useless. Nobody gives the other gods time to talk. If they would just be quiet and listen to each other maybe they would be productive.<p>

Outside of the throne room the sun sets behind the horizon. It takes several moments for Zeus to realize this. There is a loud boom of thunder that almost shakes me from my seat. The gods stop talking immediately. They immediately turn towards the God of the Heavens.

"It is sundown so we must make the decision. It is clear that there are only two reasonable choices: send Aikarina to Camp Halfblood or to kill her. We will vote on this now with no further discussion," Zeus commands. The gods nod at his orders, even though some of them are frustrated with the decision.

I sink into my seat and pull my knees to my chest. My heart feels like it's going to burst right out of my ribcage by how fast it is beating.

Aphrodite starts. "Camp Halfblood."

Apollo smiles a half-smile as if to tell me that everything will be okay. "Camp Halfblood."

Ares opens his mouth with a smirk. It falls when he sees Aphrodite glaring at him. He seems to be changing his mind at the last minute. "Camp Halfblood," he mumbles just loud enough for us to hear.

Artemis looks at me with a proud expression on her face. "Camp Halfblood."

"Camp Halfblood," Athena says with a hint of emotion.

Demeter frowns and looks terribly guilty. "Kill." I hold back my gasp of shock. I never thought that she would vote for me to die. Especially because I help her harvest all of her crops every year.

Dionysus looks at me through groggy eyes. I can only assume that he is still not completely over his probation from wine which has made him grumpier than usual. "Kill."

Hephaestus glares at Aphrodite. I know that he will vote against her just to mess with her and Ares, no matter what his opinions are on this. "Kill."

"Camp Halfblood," Hera says after a moment of consideration.

"Camp Halfblood," Hermes votes.

Hestia looks at me thoughtfully. "Camp Halfblood."

Poseidon smiles. "Camp Halfblood."

Zeus frowns at the gods who voted me to live. "Well, it doesn't matter anyways, but kill. The majority rules. You, Aikarina, must leave Olympus by midnight. Dionysus will take you to Camp Halfblood."

Dionysus glares at me as if I did something truly awful to him.

I place a hand up to my head to steady myself. My fate is sealed. My whole world is turned upside down and now I must live with the 'mortals'. If they are as bad as some of the gods say they are, then I am in for a crazy time.


	3. Chapter 3

The gods shrink down to their original sizes and go back to their own business. Artemis rejoins her hunters, Zeus and Hera go for a nice dinner, and the others tend to their godly duties. Hermes winks at me then immediately takes his phone out of his pocket to return the many calls. Dionysus walks up to me with a frown on his face. He drinks from a can of Diet Coke and winces when he swallows. I haven't seen Dionysus around much since he is forced to be the Camp Director of Camp Halfblood, but when I have he always looks like he is swallowing poison.

When he is right in front of me, I notice details I haven't noticed before like the age lines on his face and the small grey hair in his beard. It is odd for a god. Usually they enjoy being young and youthful, but Dionysus looks like the average middle-aged man.

"Aikeriti, I'll bring a car out front of the Empire State building to bring you to camp when you're finally ready to go." He grumbles. Dionysus begins to turn away but he snaps back to face me. His purple eyes shine with power. "Also, you will address me as Mr. D when we are back at camp. I don't care if you're the golden child of Olympus or not, I will strangle you with vines."

I gulp back my fear at his expression. The Ares part of me is itching to fight him. Deep down it strains to be released from the cage I have trapped it in, begging for me to release it. It would be incredibly satisfying wiping the smug expression on his face, but I'm not an idiot. I know that if I even try to make a move, he will have me hanging from the ceiling by my foot, attached to nothing but a small vine. I've seen it happen and let me tell you, it wasn't a fun thing to see.

"Yes, sir. I have till midnight, right?"

Mr. D sighs in annoyance. "Didn't you listen to him?" He turns around and chugs the rest of the pop in the can. Then he throws it to the ground where it disappears into smoke. Mr. D walks out of the throne room with a pair of keys jingling in his hand. He stops right before the entrance way to drink another can of Diet Coke.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see Athena smiling down at me. Apollo, Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Ares are standing behind them with the same happy expression, except for Ares who looks like he could care less. He doesn't force a smile on his face until Aphrodite pinches him. His grin looks more like a psychotic murderer than encouraging. I have to stop myself from backing away.

Athena places a hand on my cheek. "Don't worry, Rina. You will be just fine in Camp Halfblood. And if you have any troubles, I'm sure my children will help you just as they would their own siblings." Athena says to me.

I smile back at the goddess. "Thank you. I will miss you." I say. Then I do something that surprises all of us, I hug her. She stiffens then wraps her arms around me. Athena whispers some encouraging words about how I will be fine and that I'm strong but I don't listen. I'm concentrating on memorizing the small details of her, the woman who practically raised me. I know that gods constnatly change their appearance, but I just need to memorize Athena as she is.

When I pull away I swear I see tears glistening in her grey eyes. If there were, she hides it quickly behind stern, but kind grey eyes.

Athena holds out her hand and a small purse appears. She hands it to me. "This bag can fit as many things in here as you wish. I have already taken the time to put in some of your study books so that you can continue learning. I have even added several more advance books that you can get to later in your spare time. If you ever need more, let me know. I will have Hermes bring more to you at camp."

I open up the black purse and sure enough I can see dozens of books the size of thumbtacks in the bottom. I reach down and take one out. The book grows in size until it is normal. I place it back into the bag and I watch it shrink down to a miniature size.

She places a hand on my shoulder. "If you ever have trouble, call on me. The Athena cabin will always be open to you, I'll make sure of it." She moves aside so that Apollo can talk to me.

His smile seems forced and it doesn't reach his eyes. Apollo looks... sad. Believe it or not I have never seen him sad and I don't like it. I want the cheerful, happy Apollo back. I believe I will miss Apollo and Athena the most out of all the gods.

"Don't be sad. I'll be fine." I say at last. Deep down I hope that what I said will be true.

He isn't so cautious about showing his feelings. The smile quickly falls and is replaced with tears and a sob. He rushes over and hugs me tight.

"You'll see me again." I manage to choke out. I take in a deep breath, taking advantage of the opportunity when Apollo loosens his hold on me.

"The next time I visit Camp Halfblood you better be there, otherwise I search to the end of the earth to find you. I am a god after all." He says through tears. Apollo manages to control his sobs to just a silent cry. It isn't until I feel a hot tear hit my hand that I realize that I'm crying too.

Apollo reluctantly pulls away from me. Unlike normal people, his face isn't red and puffy from crying. Because of the god in me, mine doesn't get that way either. Definitely a plus for being mostly god.

He reaches into his shorts pocket and pulls out a small canister. Apollo places it in my hand.

"It's a ray of sunshine. Much more reliable than the flashlights down there. Won't ever break and you don't have to replace the batteries." He points towards the bottom where there is a small dial. "You can even adjust the brightness. Be careful not to turn it all the way bright. It can blind someone."

"Thank you so much." I say. I try to hold back as many tears as I can but it is a useless effort. Just the fact that Apollo is getting all emotional is making me emotional.

Apollo sighs. "You have grown up so much. I remember when you were just a little baby. I was the first one to see you, you know. Well after Aphrodite, your father, Zeus, and Ares. But, that still counts for something, right?"

I nod. My lips curl into a small smile at his antics.

"I also remember when you took your first steps. Your first word was 'duckie'. I taught that to you after Aphrodite had me babysit. I even remember when Hermes taught you to lock pick your first door…." He says thoughtfully. Behind him I see Aphrodite seething with anger. I guess nobody thought to tell her the Hermes taught me how to be the perfect thief. If I wanted to, I can break into a bank easily down on the earth. Now that I think about it, almost every god chipped in to teach me something. Even Ares taught me how to use a sword!

I hug Apollo to keep him from rambling on about all of my 'firsts'. The last thing I need is for him to say something about the first time I stabbed someone, or the first time I rolled in the mud. Aphrodite would definitely not be happy with either of us if he accidentally lets that out.

"Thank you so much, and I don't just mean for the present." I say into his shirt. It comes out muffled but he understands what I said.

"You're welcome, Rina." He whispers. We release each other and it's Aphrodite's turn to say goodbye. I put the canister into the bag Athena gave me. From the corner of my eye I see Athena smile when I use her gift.

Aphrodite engulfs me in a hug. I hug her back but it's not as loving as the last two hugs. Athena and Apollo were the ones who raised me, not Aphrodite. She was barely around during my life and has only started appearing when I became interested in clothes and makeup. Athena and Apollo have been there for me more in one day than Aphrodite in my entire life.

She strokes the back of my head. "Oh, my baby. Tyler would be so proud to see his little girl grow up so pretty."

"Thank you, mother." I say, sounding like a robot.

Aphrodite pulls away with a large smile on her face. "I don't have anything physical to give you, but I have the gift to top all gifts." She beams. "I will give you the gift of amazing, beautiful love. Somewhere out there you have a soul-mate. I have chosen specifically who, but I won't tell. You both will have the most amazing love story since the beginning of time! Oh, I just love a good love-story!"

There is a silence around the throne room that covers us like a blanket.

"Do you really think that's the best idea for her to have love right after she gets to Camp Halfblood?" Athena comments, breaking the terrible silence. Aphrodite glares at her with piercing blue eyes. She looks very threatening, but against Athena she is no match.

"I know what I'm doing. I'm the goddess of love after all. Of course, it won't happen right away, so she can get settled in and such, but it will be there." She squeals in excitement. "I just can't wait! I'm tempted to just force you both to fall in love right now but you're both far too young. Shame."

Apollo and Athena share a concerned look. I stare at them with wide, pleading eyes. Just hoping that one of them will help me and tell Aphrodite to stop. I don't want or need a destined love.

Apollo's eyes flash a bright golden color. He gasps and looks at me in pity. It must be truly terrible.

I smack my forehead. "Please tell me it didn't just become a prophecy." I whisper too quiet for Aphrodite to hear. I don't have to whisper anyways because she wouldn't be able to hear. She's too busy gushing about how magnificent the love will be to Ares who pretends to be interested so that he can go on a date or something with her later.

Apollo gives me a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. It's more like a poor attempt to reassure me. "Sorry kiddo. It's written in stone now."

"Well who is it?" I ask.

He smirks at me. "Now where's the fun in that? You'll have to figure it out for yourself. But I have to give it to Aphrodite, it will be... something."

I consider slapping him for not telling me but Ares comes up to give me his gift. I shift on my feet uncomfortably as he approaches. Without a doubt he is only here because my mother put him up to it.

Ares hands me a small knife. I take it curiously. It's not nearly big enough to protect me. I don't think it's long enough to cut through the skin! I glare at Ares as if this is a joke.

He glares right back at me. "Don't give me that look. I know it seems small but the blade changes sizes so you can have a small dagger or a long sword, whichever you want. Just put your finger on the jewel on the hilt to change the size."

I place my thumb on the emerald on the hilt of the blade. Just like Ares said, the blade starts to grow to the side of a normal sword. I hold it in my hands. It is perfectly balanced and seems like it was made for me. I look up at Ares in shock, thinking that this is some trick. This gift is actually good.

"Thank you, Lord Ares." I bow slightly to him. He nods and moves back to Aphrodite's side. This time it's Poseidon's turn.

He smiles at me and I smile back. I unconsciously sniff the air. Poseidon smells like the ocean. "Don't worry, you will be just fine at Camp Halfblood. I don't have a gift for you but I will give you some advice." He turns to the other gods. "If you don't mind, I would like to talk to her alone."

The other gods nod and move to talk with each other in a different corner to give us privacy. Poseidon walks out of the throne room and I follow without hesitation.

"What advice did you want to tell me, Lord Poseidon?" I say as politely as I possibly can.

"I have several pieces of advice, in fact. The first is to advise you to keep your identity a secret. Chiron and Dionysus know, but keep the fact that you're practically a goddess away from other campers."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

He purses his lips. "Others may want to exploit your powers." He means Kronos and Luke. "Others may become jealous and not want to befriend you. Someone like you should always have friends. It will keep everyone safer in the long run."

We walk around outside of the throne room. The streets are empty. There is not a single soul in sight. It's very eery.

"Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

Poseidon nods. "You must prepare yourself. Something is going to happen, I don't know what but I feel it. All of the gods feel it also but they choose to ignore it. It's as if something is building up. Make friends and train as hard as you can. There is no telling what is going to happen."

I find myself speechless for several moments. "I will do my best."

He smiles. "I know you will. Now, I know this is a time where we should be giving you things, but I have a favor to ask you."

My eyes widen. "Yes, anything."

"Watch out for my son, Percy Jackson. He needs people like you on his side. Make sure he stays safe."

I nod a little too eagerly. "I will, I promise."

Poseidon chuckles. "When you promise a god, you must intend to keep it." These are the last words he says to me before disappearing into thin air.

I walk back to the throne room, a bit dazed about what just happened. As soon as I enter I am cornered by Mr. D.

"Are you ready to leave?" He asks. Mr. D taps his foot against the marble impatiently.

I narrow my eyes at the god. "It's not midnight yet." I remind him.

He raises an eyebrow at my facial expression but he doesn't say anything. I guess working in camp full of teenagers can make anyone used to someone talking back. "No, there is still a couple of hours till then but Chiron is waiting for you. He has your bed ready and everything. It would be rude to keep him waiting." He snarls. It doesn't take a genius to know that he has an alternative motive other than protecting Chiron's feelings. My guess is that he just wants to get off of Olympus as fast as he can.

"Just let me say goodbye one last time." I whisper. As I walk away I hear him jingle a set of keys with an incredible amount of impatience. I'm sure if I turned around right now he would have the biggest scowl ever seen on his face.

I walk up to the group of gods. The look at me with expecting eyes.

"Dionysus…." I hear a cough behind me. "I mean Mr. D wants us to leave now. So, I guess this is goodbye."

Athena reaches out to me. "Goodbye, remember what I said. The offer will always stand."

Apollo wipes his eyes with a silk rag that I never noticed he had before. "Goodbye, Rina."

Aphrodite grabs Ares's hand for support. She wipes several stray tears from her eyes.

"I will miss all of you. I hope maybe I will see you again." I say to Athena, Aphrodite, and Apollo. They each hug me again before letting me leave with Mr. D.

* * *

><p>Mr. D is driving the car down the roads of New York. I am in the passenger seat and trying to relax as much as possible. This is the first time I have ever been away from Olympus and it is terrifying. There is so much more people than I originally thought and it's also brighter. The buildings are lit up with lights and you can barely see the stars. It's rather sad if you ask me. The stars are some of the most beautiful things in this world.<p>

I grip the strap to my purse firmly, as if it's going to run away from me at any second. It still smells like Athena: new books and daffodils.

"I bet you're wondering why I chose to have you killed, my dear Aitarika." Mr. D says. He barely takes his eyes off of the road.

I mentally roll my eyes at Mr. D for getting my name wrong then I shake my head. "Not really." I turn to look out the window at the busy street. Even at night there are people walking about.

He turns and glares at me with blood-shot eyes. "Well, I'm going to tell you anyways whether you like it or not. You are aware that monsters are attracted to halfbloods and just enjoy beating the tar out of them, right?"

I nod. "Yeah, aren't monsters attracted to demigods' scent? The more powerful their parent is, the more powerful their scent."

"Correct. Monsters are going to be attracted to you like a moth to a flame. You're never going to get a second away from them. Or maybe you have so much god in you that they stay away. Either way, I was just planning to save you the hassle of finding out. But I'm betting on the moth thing." He shrugs.

"That's… nice of you?" I say. Mr. D glares at me for my sarcasm.

"Wouldn't you rather die peacefully by some poison surrounded by the gods than have your intestines ripped out by who-knows-what?" He says irritably.

I bite my lip to help my concentrate. "But you just said that you're not sure. Maybe the monsters will stay away from me."

"And maybe not. Probably not"

"But you admit that it's possible for them to not want to get near me at all." I say.

Mr. D glares at me with such intensity that I shut my mouth. He is about to retort back but stops. We look out the window and see a large camp covered in snow.

"We're finally here. Welcome to Camp Halfblood"


	4. Chapter 4

**I would just like to thank everyone who left a kind review and who followed. You guys truly made my day! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!**

**I don't own any characters except for Aikarina.**

* * *

><p>The camp is covered with a thin layer of snow that looks like Zeus sprinkled it with a thin layer salt. Within the borders of the camp, it is noticeably warmer. I heard that the weather is regulated here so during the summer it is always shining.<p>

I know it is in the middle of the night, but the camp looks barren. There are not even the quiet hoots of owls in the woods. Almost all the gods' children come here to train during the summer, but I never expected it to feel this empty. Maybe it will gain more life when the sun rises.

A large pine tree grows on a hill. Some kind of dragon diligently guards it. Occasionally it lets out a puff of smoke like it is smoking a cigarette. On one of the branches, there is a glimmer of gold. I instantly recognize it as the Golden Fleece.

I hold back at laugh when I remember what happened during the summer. The tree was dying because Luke Castellan, the Son of Hermes, poisoned it with a substance only found deep in the Underworld. Several campers retrieved the Golden Fleece from the Sea of Monsters to save the tree that acts a magical barrier around the camp. The fleece cured the tree. In fact, it did such a good job that it freed Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus, from her imprisonment.

Once I step foot on the ground, a loud screech that belongs to a harpy echoes around the campsite. I grab the knife Ares gave me and force the blade to grow to the size of a sword.

"Damn harpies." Mr. D mutters. He glances at my sword. I expect him to lecture me about being paranoid, but he doesn't. "Might as well keep that out. It's highly unlikely they will attack with me here, but if they do you're on your own," he warns. His words only make me hold my sword out further. I glance over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure that the harpies aren't right behind me.

The black car we were riding in disappears into a cloud of smoke. It drifts up to the sky as if nothing ever happened.

Mr. D guides me towards a large house. There is a small light on in the bottom floor and in the attic but other than that the entire building is dark. Small balls of fire light up the camp. They float beside the doors of the cabins and the big house. It doesn't give off any heat, but it lights the area very well. Some are even different colors like a bright blue and yellow.

There is another screech from behind me. It sounds much closer than before. The hilt of my sword shifts around my fingers to give me a better grip as I tighten my hold on the piece of metal. I dare look over my shoulder to see nothing but several cabins. Maybe the harpies will stay away like Mr. D said, but I won't let my guard down.

He pushes through the front door and lets it slam in my face. Holding back several unkind words, I enter the building. Inside, I see a man in a wheelchair reading a book next to a blazing fireplace. He has a thick beard and is wearing a warm sweater with a hoof-print on the front.

I sigh with contentment. It feels very good to stand in front of the fire.

He looks up in surprise when Mr. D clears his throat. The man must've been very into his book to not notice us burst through the front door. The man stands up and his body extends further than what I originally thought. The wheelchair is magically altered to hide the centaur's lower half. Very clever, especially if he needs to leave Camp Halfblood.

I smile at the centaur, immediately I know who this is. "You must be Chiron."

He clops over to me. When he is standing up straight, I have to extend my neck straight up to look him in the eye. "And you must be Aikarina," he observes.

Mr. D lounges back in a chair. "No, it's Aidaripa," he says before chugging another can of pop. Mr. D swallows and winces, but still makes another can appear. Chiron rolls his eyes at the god.

I shake my head and he raises an eyebrow. "I would like to be called Rina. It's just easier to call me that," I explain.

Chiron nods. "Welcome to Camp Halfblood. I have been made aware of your... situation."

I shuffle me feet on the floor nervously. "Can you keep it a secret? I don't want the other campers to know."

Mr. D scoffs but Chiron promises. He grabs several orange shirts and spare jeans from a chest and hands them to me. The front of the cotton shirt says, 'CAMP HALFBLOOD' in bold letters. I look at the tags to see they are exactly my size. Maybe Aphrodite contacted him ahead of time to make sure the clothes fit.

"Your schedule here is different than it would be during the summer, when most of our campers arrive. Since there are only a few campers, we just split up the chores weekly. This week all you have to take care of is the cabins. Starting tomorrow you will go around and clean each one so that they aren't terribly dirty when the rest of the campers arrive. Nothing too complicated. Next week you will clean the armory. I believe you are the only one in Cabin 10 during this time. I'm sure the others will come during the summer," Chiron says.

"Cabin 10?"

"It's the cabin for all the children whose mother is Aphrodite. I assume you would desire that one over the cabin for Ares since you are more closely related to Aphrodite. However, if you want to be placed with the children of Ares, that will be manageable," he explains calmly. Mr. D, on the other hand, looks irritated that Chiron has to explain all this to me. I guess he assumed that I already know everything about Camp Halfblood.

I shake my head. "No, I think it would be better for me to be in Cabin 10."

Chiron and Mr. D both nod with approval. For the first time since I have met him, Mr. D looks like he almost respects me. But whatever kind look he had on his face turns to a scowl when he sees me looking at him.

"Well, get on then. Get to your cabin." Mr. D sneers. Chiron sends a glare the god's way, but Dionysus ignores it. Or maybe he just doesn't care enough.

The centaur looks towards the door. "I will show you to the cabin. It's not too far."

Chiron leads me outside. The screech of the harpies still sounds close, like they are right around the corner. They're still out of sight, though. Maybe it's because of me or Chiron. I can't be sure. He leads me to a cabin with a 10 on the front. Once I get inside, I immediately feel like a Barbie doll. The walls are pink and the windows have a white trim around them. The bed sheets are a soft blue and the floor is checkerboard linoleum. It reeks strongly of perfume, as if someone sprayed a whole bottle before I entered. The one thing that really amazes me is how many mirrors are on the walls. I guess when you have the vainest goddess as a mother one should expect a lot of mirrors.

"This will be your cabin. If you were undetermined you would stay in the Hermes cabin, but that's obviously not the case. In the morning I will send someone to your cabin to help you with your first day of chores then in the afternoon you may look around. Sleep well." He gives me an understanding look. "I know it is not exactly Olympus, but I'm sure you will enjoy it here."

Chiron leaves me alone in the cabin. I'm terrified but excited at the same time. I have a feeling I'm going to like it here, like Chiron said. There is a chest next to a bed with my name painted on with gold letters. I take off the purse Athena gave me and place it in the chest. When I close it there is a loud click of the chest locking. Thinking that my things will forever be stuck in there, I open the chest. It opens as smooth as it did before. When I close it there is the same clicking noise.

I look around to see each bed has a chest by it. There are all different names painted on the front of the chest but some are bare. I walk over to a chest with a camper's name on it and try to open it. It won't budge. I breathe a sigh of relief. The chests only open to their owner. At least I can sleep in peace knowing that my things will be safe.

I lay down on the bed and sleep, knowing that tomorrow will be a busy day.

* * *

><p>I wake up to the sound of a loud trumpet. I groan and cover my head with my pillow.<p>

"Why does Apollo have to wake me up so early!" I yell into the pillow. My voice comes at muffled and groggy. I start to tell him to stop playing the trumpet when I realize that I'm not in my room in Olympus. There is a knock at the cabin door. A small sliver of hope thinks that it's Apollo on the other side, here to bring me back to Olympus. Honestly, I wouldn't mind which god it is. Even Ares. As long as I can go back home. I bounce out of bed.

The last of my hair has placed itself into a curly ponytail when I open the door. I feel my face turn from a hopeful smile to a scowl. Instead it's a boy I have never seen in my life. His arms are so huge with muscles that I'm sure that he can snap me in half. His face is stern and causes me to shrink back a little. As if his face wasn't intimidating enough, he is very tall. He towers over me like the Empire State building towers over New York.

The Ares in me forces myself to stand up straight and stare him in the eye. "Yes?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

He holds out his hand; I swear that it is as big as my face. There are small burns of his hands from working with metal. Without hesitation I take it and we shake hands.

"My name is Charles Beckendorf from Cabin 9." I look behind him to see a brick cabin with smokestacks coming out of the top. The door is a reflective metal that shines brightly in the morning sun. The front of the cabin is decorated with dozens of metal trinkets.

"Hello, my name is Rina," I say politely but with firmness.

"Chiron wanted me to show you where the cleaning supplies are. After you're done cleaning cabins 1 through 3 you have free time to train or do whatever. But I'm sure you'll just want to hang around the cabin since it's freezing out here." Charles shivers slightly under the large coat he is wearing. It must be because of my 'almost godly' powers that I don't feel the cold like he does. My insides churn at just another difference to set myself apart from the other campers.

"Thank you," I mumble as he walks towards a small shed. He unlocks the door. Inside are cleaning supplies ranging from sponges to a watered-down lava solution used for removing mold.

Charles points towards the half of the shed with... milder supplies. "Don't bother using that crazy stuff. No one ever uses it because, well, who wants to mess around with a cyclops snot floor-shiner? Just stick to the brooms and dusters. No one expects a full 100% clean-sweep. Just sweep the floors and dust around a little."

"Easy enough," I reply confidently.

Charles chuckles. "I'm just going to warn you that when you get to the Hermes cabin to be extra careful. They like to mess around with people and place booby traps. They get a kick out of it. I have asked the Stoll brothers to tell me where they put them but they won't tell. Last time I had cabin duty I got covered head to toe in this glue stuff they made. Was sticking to stuff for at least a week."

My eyes widen at his story. A part of me is glad that I don't have to clean the Hermes cabin... yet. "Thanks for the warning. Maybe I can convince them to tell me before I clean the cabin."

He then makes a rather unattractive snort. Charles looks at me in disbelief. "Good luck with that. I gotta go clean some armor, it's been nice meeting you."

* * *

><p>Several days later...<p>

I stare at the two Stoll brothers. Their features make them look like elves and the smirks on their faces show they are hiding something. Whatever that something is, I really don't want to find out. I have put off cleaning Cabin 11 for as long as I possibly could. Now is the moment of truth.

"Just tell me where you put the trap and nobody will get hurt," I threaten. If it's even possible, Travis and Conner's smirks get bigger and have more malice. Beckendorf is right; they do get a kick out of this.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rina," Travis says casually. He places his hands in his jacket pocket and rocks back and forth on his heels.

I suppress the urge to punch him in the face. I'm starting to really get irritated with these two. Not only do I have to clean their filthy cabin, but I might be another victim of their pranks.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Listen, you tell me now or I'll..."

"Or what?" Conner asks. He raises a brown eyebrow.

I narrow my eyes at him. "I don't know but it will be terrible. Tell me where it is. I know you have some trap somewhere in your cabin."

The brothers share a look with each other. They both look down at the ground with a defeated expression. "Fine, you're right. There is a trap. It's under our bed."

My smile is more of a grimace. "Thank you. Now, if you excuse me, I will be cleaning your cabin." I swear that I hear a snicker behind me, but I pay it no attention. When I enter the room, it is like walking into a barn. Clothes are scattered everywhere, candy wrappers litter the floor, and there is a dust bunny in every corner. It amazes me that a room can get this dirty, especially when it's just these two here during the winter.

I peek under the bed, ready to look for the trap and hopefully deactivate it. The minute I put my face under, a puff of purple surrounds me. My lungs fill with the purple dust, causing me to cough. I sprint out of the room to breathe fresh air. I look down at my hands to see them stained the bright purple. I try to force the purple off of my skin, but it stays there.

The twins eyes grow wide then they burst out laughing. It takes a lot of self-control to keep myself from attacking them like the Ares part of me desperately wants to do.

"You guys are dicks!" I screech then rush away to the bathroom to see the full extent of their damage.

The minute I am in front of the bathroom mirror, I have a mini heart attack. My face, neck, chest, and half of my arms are covered with the purple dye. Some of my hair is also the same color. I look like a walking grape.

After a long time of hot water and scrubbing, I am able to get all the dye from my skin. My skin is a bright pink from the rough towels. Mr. D doesn't bother to get soft, cotton ones for us. Now I have to fix my hair. I try to force the purple out of my hair with my abilities, but it doesn't work. I can only assume that the purple dye has magical staining properties. The only reason I could get it off my skin was because I cleaned it off fast enough before the stain could stick. I run my head under the warm water in hopes that it will come out like on my skin. To my dismay, it doesn't.

Deep down, I am just itching to show the Stoll brothers that they have messed with the wrong person. My hair turns a bright red, like Ariel in the little mermaid, to match my anger. The spots affected by the dye stay the same bright purple. Not even changing my hair color will make the dye leave. I sigh and contemplate my options: shave off my hair and risk it never growing back (I know it's crazy to think that, but my mother has warned me many times never to do that) or dye it to make the same purple then wait for the dye to grow out. You can guess which one I picked.

The purple rains down from my roots to the tips of my hair. My anger dissolves into fascination. I thought I would absolutely hate my hair this color, but it's the opposite. Instead of looking completely ridiculous, it actually looks good! But just because I like my new hair doesn't mean I won't teach the brothers a lesson. No, they will get what they have coming to them.

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><p>That night, I sneak out of my cabin and into the Hermes. Both of the brothers are snoring peacefully. Little do they know what I have in store for them.<p>

I reach down and touch Conner's forehead. With my powers I change his hair color from a nice brown to puke green with brown tips. Then I grab some lipstick from my bag and smear it all over his face, making sure to write 'I HATE SATYRS' in huge letters. Next I move to Travis. I have to hold back an evil laugh as I gaze down on the second brother. He looks so nice and peaceful, unlike the mean prankster he is when he's awake. I place my hand on his forehead and change his appearance. His hair morphs to pink with blue highlights. He looks like cotton candy. Then I make sure to scribble on his face with lipstick and write the same words.

By the time I am done getting my revenge, I feel very satisfied. Who knew revenge could feel this good? I sneak back out of their cabin and back into mine, as if nothing happened. That night I could hardly sleep from the excitement of their reactions in the morning.

Revenge is sweet.


	5. Chapter 5

**I would just like to thank everyone for their support of this story. It really means a lot to me. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Aikarina a.k.a. Rina.**

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><p>The next morning when the Stoll brothers woke up, there was a loud commotion. Someone could hear their screams from all the way at the far end of the forest. And when they ran to the bathroom to wash the lipstick off of their faces, they were tripped by several angry Satyrs. At the end of it all, the brothers have been very good sports. They both said that they probably had it coming since my hair is purple now. They clearly stated that we are even now, but that doesn't mean I haven't been punished for the prank.<p>

For my little prank on the Stoll brothers, I have to hand wash each pebble on the shore of the lake. Apparently the water nymphs have been complaining for a while about how filthy they are and Mr. D enjoys making people suffer by doing menial tasks.

I pick up a slimy rock. It's covered in moss and weird worm things. With a piece of steel wool, I scrub until it shines, figuratively because rocks really don't shine. I then toss the rock back into the semi-frozen lake only to pick up another. My hands are red from the cold water. I know it should feel cold, but it doesn't bother me. In fact, I'm certain that if I want to I can go swimming right now and be fine.

There is a flash of light in the sky. The temperature starts to rapidly increase. I wipe a bead of sweat from my forehead. The snow starts to melt slowly. I glance up into the sky to see Apollo's chariot in the form of a clunky bus fall right towards the lake.

I don't waste a second to sprint from the lake's edge. The chariot disguised as a bus falls into the lake with a loud splash. The lake bubbles and steam rolls off the waves. The huge bus floats in the water and glows a dull amber from the heat.

Artemis's hunters, several demigods, a satyr, and Apollo step out of the chariot. Apollo's eyes light up with happiness when he sees me. He opens his arms wide and I happily run into them.

"Rina! Oh, it's been too long!" he says with a smile. Several hunters make noises of disapproval. They were never fond of the god.

I giggle. "It's only been a week!" I reply.

"Like I said, too long!" Apollo holds me close for another hug.

He gasps as if he just realized something. Apollo backs away from me and looks at the top of my head. It takes me a couple seconds to realize he is staring at my hair.

"I didn't know that you liked the color purple," he comments.

My cheeks flush in embarrassment. I look down at the ground and shuffle my feet in the sand. Luckily Apollo sees this and decides not to push it. I don't really want to tell him about the Stoll brothers and how they tricked me into dying my hair a permanent shade of purple.

"Have you met these guys?" He points towards the hunters, the Satyr, and the demigods. I shake my head. Apollo then begins to introduce everyone. "Well, you already know about Artemis's hunters. That boy there is Nico and his sister Bianca. That stunning girl is Thalia and the boy next to her is Percy." He leans over and whispers to me, "I'm sure you've heard a ton of gossip about those two back in Olympus."

I nod my head. They have been the talk of Olympus for a while now. It is crazy how interested the Olympians are in those two.

Apollo sighs and ruffles up my hair. "Sorry Rina, but this baby should be over New Jersey by now. I promise that I'll catch up with you sometime." He looks over at the 'chariot' with an expression of regret either from allowing it to crash into the lake or for leaving too soon.

"Goodbye," I call to him as he gets into the driver's seat of the bus. He presses a button on the key and it morphs into a red Maserati. Apollo starts up the car then flies into the sky in a flash of light.

"Who are you?" Percy asks. He scans my face as if he's trying to figure out who I am. Maybe he thinks that I am a past camper. His eyes travel to my neck, where on a returning camper there would be a necklace.

I smile. "I'm Rina. Apollo already introduced me to all of you."

Thalia rolls her eyes. "We know. We were there."

I narrow my eyes at the girl and she narrows hers as well. Her eyes are much more beautiful than mine. Maybe even Aphrodite's! They are a brilliant blue. I'm not sure that even with my abilities I would be able to replicate such a wonderful color. Even though she has beautiful eyes, I don't think I like her one bit. The way she is glaring at me is as if I just stabbed her in the stomach then asked if I could borrow her armor after she died.

The boy named Nico's eyes grow wide when he sees the climbing wall. "Whoa, is that a climbing wall?" he asks Percy. Nico looks excitedly around the camp. Even the strawberry fields seem to interest him.

Percy nods. "Yeah."

Nico frowns in confusion. "Why is there lava pouring out of it?"

"Little extra challenge," Percy answers. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, do you-"

A girl I recognize as Zoe Nightshade, one of Artemis's hunters steps forward. Several years ago I spent a month with Artemis's hunters to 'teach me discipline'. They showed me how to hunt and track, but I never was good at it. Zoe was one of the few hunters there who welcomed me with open arms and didn't completely disown me after I refused to make the oath to Artemis. I'm sure she has completely forgotten about me as it was a couple years ago.

"I know Chiron," she replies stiffly. Zoe's nose wrinkles in disgust as she thinks about the centaur. "Tell him we will be in cabin eight. Hunters, follow me." She halts suddenly and turns around to face me. Her eyes grow wide, a small smirk growing on her face. "Aikarina, pleasure to see you again. It's been a while. You have grown since I have last seen you."

I nod. "Thank you. You haven't."

Zoe lets out a dry laugh. "That is what happens when you're immortal. Well, if you ever want to join us, you know where we will be. Lady Artemis would be overjoyed to have you hunt with us again."

I shake my head. "Thank you but I'm fine."

She sniffs in disapproval. "Shame. Such wasted potential. But if you change your mind, you know where we will be."

Zoe leads the hunters to Cabin Eight. The satyr tries to lead the hunters to the cabin, but they completely ignore them. Poor guy.

Thalia glares at me. "So you're a hunter."

"No, of course not. If I was I would be with the rest of the hunters."

"But if you weren't then how did they know you?"

I return the glare with a sharp intensity that even Thalia looks taken aback. "That's none of your business." I look at Percy and Nico with a softer expression. "If you want I can show you where Chiron is. I have to tell him that I can't do my punishment anymore unless I want to burn the skin off my hands." I gesture to the boiling lake. The water nymphs don't seem to mind the scorching water one bit. Well, at least it's a change from a half-frozen lake.

We start walking towards the big house when I realize that we are missing someone. I face the new camper. "Nico, it's Nico right?"

The boy nods, a tad too enthusiastically.

"Where's your sister? Isn't she a demigod too?"

Nico looks down at the ground and mumbles something awful about the hunters. Based on his expression it means that the hunters have another member. Even I know better than to press the issue.

After several minutes of silence, Nico speaks up. "Who's Chiron? I don't have his figurine."

Figure? I furrow my eyebrows. What could he possibly mean by that?

"What does he mean by figurine?" I whisper to Thalia as Percy explains who Chiron is.

Thalia shrugs. "I think it has something to do with this card game the kid has," she explains, but she doesn't look too sure herself.

We enter the big house and immediately are greeted by Chiron. His eyes twinkle with the excitement of a new camper. Mr. D grumbles something about getting back to the game, and that's when I realize that they are playing some sort of card game. I swear I see stacks of drachmas on the table but Mr. D covers them up quickly.

"Percy, Thalia, Rina... Ah! And this must be….." Chiron pauses. The name is on the tip on his tongue.

"Nico di Angelo. He and his sister are halfbloods like us," Percy says confidently.

"Airakiki! Why are you not polishing the pebbles like you were told to do?" Mr. D snaps. For the first time since I entered the room, I have a good, clear look at him. He is wearing a neon leopard print suit with purple running shoes that scuff the wood floor.

I sigh and don't bother to correct him on my name. He's just going to get it wrong the next time anyways.

"The sun chariot fell into the lake and it's boiling. I don't really feel like losing my hands right now," I say while trying —and failing— to keep my voice level. I have put up with Mr. D for the whole week and I'm already on the brink of snapping. There's no way people can stand him for the whole summer!

Mr. D glances out the window to see the steaming lake. He groans as if this is a burden on him. "Fine, but you better polish them extra shiny tomorrow. I'm getting tired of the water nymphs complaining! They always find something to complain about," he grumbles. Oh, the irony.

Percy shuffles on his feel nervously. "Sir, something went wrong at the school."

The smile on Chiron's face disappears. He scans the group. "What's wrong? Where's Annabeth?"

Mr. D takes a swig from a can of coke. "Oh dear. Not another one lost," he says with indifference. Chiron appears distressed while the rest of us are confused. It seems like nobody else knew about a lost camper. A missing person is usually important to talk about.

"What do you mean? Who else is lost?" Thalia asks.

Suddenly the door slams open. The satyr skips in with a huge smile on his face. I wince when I see the forming black eye with a matching hand print on his cheek. But despite his injuries, he still has the same twinkle in his eye.

"The hunters are all moved in!" he announces.

Chiron frowns but replaces it with a small smile. "The Hunters? Grover, perhaps you should take Nico and Rina to the den to show them the orientation film. During all the chaos of directing a camp I forgot to show it to our dear Rina." He cracks a dry smile. "Better late than never."

Grover nods and leads the way. I follow him while Nico follows me. I look behind me to see Nico staring at Grover's hooves in fascination. When he notices me looking at him, he smiles. He looks so happy and content that I can't help but smile also.

Grover guides us to a small den. There are a leather loveseat and a small, old television in the front. It looks like something right out of the '70s. The satyr jams a tap into the VCR. Much to his dismay, it spits it back out. He jams it back in again, and this time it stays.

There is a loud buzz on the screen before it plays a fuzzy video that looks like it was filmed decades ago. The color is dim and the audio is barely heard over the buzz from the screen. I don't pay attention. Instead I count how many photos are in the room. Lining the walls are pictures of campers from every year. What is kind of scary is that most campers don't show up in more than four of the pictures. The optimistic part of my brain tells me that they were just too old to attend camp anymore. When the film is halfway done, I counted forty pictures, not adding the ones in picture frames on the desks.

Nico seems to be very intrigued with the video. His eyes grow wider when he sees two people fighting with swords.

"Will I be able to do that?" he asks me.

I shrug. "Sure, that's why we're here. To train."

The more I look at Nico the more I realize that he looks very familiar. I'm sure I have seen his parent around in Olympus, but I can't place my finger on it. Another thing that strikes me about him is that he looks about my age.

"How old are you?" I ask out of the blue.

Nico thinks for several moments. His eyebrows come together in confusion, as if it's a distant memory that he can't remember. After several moments of silence, he speaks up. "Honestly, I'm not sure."

I look down at the floor, disappointed. There goes my plan to figure out how old I am.

The film ends and the screen falls blank. Grover leans up against the tv. "Any questions?" he asks. Nico opens his mouth to fire off a round of questions, but Grover stops him before he could start. "Nico, how many questions do you have?"

Nico bites the inside of his cheek. "At least ten."

Grover pops out the tape and puts it back into its case. "Maybe you should just save them for later, then. We don't have much time. Let's just head back. I'm sure Chiron has a lot to tell you."

We follow him back into the main room of the Big House. Chiron has gotten up from his wheelchair and is walking around in his Centaur form.

Nico bounces up and down in excitement. "You're… You're a Centaur! That's so cool!" I giggle at his enthusiasm. That isn't the reaction I thought he would have. Maybe something more along the lines of completely freaking out. That seems like a more appropriate reaction to everything you thought about the world changing in one day.

Chiron smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Everyone else is grimacing, except for Mr. D who has a full scowl.

"Yes, Mr. di Angelo. Though I prefer to stay in human form in the wheelchair during first encounters," he explains.

Nico stares at Mr. D like he is seeing him for the first time. "Whoa! You're the wine dude!"

My eyes grow wide at Mr. D's expression. I nudge Nico who looks at me in confusion. "He's Dionysus," I whisper but somehow the god hears me.

"What did I say you could only call me at camp?" Mr. D snaps. I mumble something about only being able to call him Mr. D under my breath.

"Dionysus," Nico whispers under his breath as if it's something rare and valuable. But once he truly gets to know Mr. D, he won't think so highly of him.

Mr. D glowers at Nico, but the boy doesn't seem phased. "Names are a powerful thing, kid. Use them sparingly," he warns. For once, I agree with the god.

"Sorry..." Nico apologizes, then he is back to his chipper self. "I've got your figurine!"

Mr. D's sour expression turns to a neutral one. "My figurine," he repeats slowly. The god raises one eyebrow.

"In my game, Mythomagic! And a holofoil card too! But even though you only have, like, five hundred attack points and everyone thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!" Nico says without stopping. Throughout his whole rant, I am nudging his arm to get him to stop, but he doesn't pay attention. Nico just keeps talking and talking... I'm afraid that he's going to end up in a coffin made of vines!

Instead of being angry, Dionysus appears confused. "Ah, that's gratifying," Mr. D says.

Chiron takes the opportunity to save Nico from digging himself into a deeper hole. He turns towards Percy. "Percy, you and Thalia go down to the cabins and inform the campers we will be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag? I'm not sure we have enough—" Percy starts, but Chiron interrupts him.

Chiron shakes his head. "It is just a tradition. Every time the hunters visit we play a friendly game of capture the flag."

Nico inches closer to Mr. D and takes the open chair. I want to leave with Thalia and Percy, but I feel like I should stay with Nico to make sure Mr. D doesn't kill him.

"Even though you don't have a lot of attack points, you have a ton of defense points. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades have the most points in the game, though," Nico explains. There is a loud rumble of thunder that shakes the Big House. The picture frames rattle on the walls and several trinkets fall off of the shelves.

Mr. D and I glare at Nico who is staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes. "What did I tell you? Names are powerful, and you should especially never use those three names in the same sentence. Have a little respect," Mr. D. growls.

"Why not? Is it because Zeus and Poseidon are sort of enemies with Hades?" Nico asks. There is another rumble of thunder with the same intensity as before. I grab a vase of flowers before it topples off a table.

Mr. D's eyes light up with power. "Yes! Now if you have any sense in that thick skull of yours, you will stop unless you want to be fried to a crisp!" For the first time since he has arrived at the camp, Nico looks sort of scared. Mr. D squeezes the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Aratrina, take this boy out of my sight. I can forget about the pebbles in the lake if you just get him out of here."

I shrug and take Nico outside. "Don't mind Mr. D. He's like that to everyone," I reassure.

Nico frowns. "He's not like I thought he would be like."

I raise an eyebrow. "And what did you think he would be like?"

"I don't know. Maybe drinking wine at least."

I hold back a laugh, but it comes out as a snort. "He's on probation. No wine for him for a while." Nico joins in to laugh with me at the absurdity of the God of Wine not being able to drink any wine.

I show him Cabin 11, better well known as the Hermes cabin. "This is the Hermes cabin. All undetermined halfbloods stay here until their parent claims them. You can talk to Trevor or Conner about getting a bunk."

Nico looks at the cabin in fascination. He runs his hand along the side of the cabin. "Which cabin is yours?"

"Cabin 10. Aphrodite is my mother," I explain.

Nico nods and his cheeks turn a light pink. "Yeah, I see," he says quietly.

I choose to ignore his comment and make him think that I didn't hear him in the first place. If I say anything it might embarrass him.

"Hey! You two! Come here!" A camper from Ares shouts over to us. He swings the sword on his hand with a smug smile on his face. He's maybe a year older than me and Nico.

We walk over to him. Nico looks at the sword in his hand warily while I admire it for its craftsmanship. I can only imagine how light and swift it is during a fight.

"What are your names?" he questions. The other campers from Ares snicker.

Nico stays silent and kicks the dirt around with a muddy shoe. Since he isn't going to answer him, I am left doing the introductions. "I'm Rina and this is Nico."

His lips curl into a sneer. "A daughter of Aphrodite and a new camper. Let me guess, undetermined?" When there is no answer he nods with a smirk. "Wonderful."

I narrow my eyes at the boy. "What do you want?" I snap as it becomes clear that he didn't invite us over here to make new friends.

He shrugs. "Just want to practice a little. Do you wanna? Hey Nico, I can teach you a few moves if you want. Could be handy when you get to kill some monsters." The boy says all the right things to interest the demigod.

Nico looks up at the boy hopefully. Before I can tell him that we aren't interested, Nico nods. The boy points towards the armory. Nico all but runs inside. I follow to make sure he gets a good sword. He must not be getting the bad vibe from them like me.

Nico picks up a sword and begins to rush out towards the clearing, but I stop him.

"You can't just pick up any sword. How does it feel?" I ask.

Nico holds it in his hand. He tilts it in his palm. "How is it supposed to feel?"

"Balanced. A good sword feels like an extension of your arm."

Nico shakes his head and picks up another sword. He holds it out in his arm and mutters to himself about whether or not it is balanced. After several more swords, he finds one that feels good enough.

"Nico, watch out for these guys."

He looks at me with innocent eyes. He hasn't even been in this new world for twenty-four hours and he is going in headfirst. I'm afraid that he's going too fast.

"What do you mean? They're just showing me some moves. I'm going to have to learn how to defend myself sometime."

I shake my head. "I know you should, but you don't have to learn right now. I'm getting a bad feeling about this. Those Ares kids, I think they're going to try to humiliate you."

Nico narrows his eyes. I swear I feel the earth tremble slightly. "What do you know? You don't know anything about me or them, so stay away," he snaps.

Nico pushes past me and back towards the Ares kids who are calling out to him. I dash after him and pull out my knife from its hilt. I feel myself tense as I prepare to defend Nico for when he can't defend himself against the huge Son of Ares.

Nico holds the sword in front of him with strong, steady hands. He has the right idea, but his form is horrible. Right away I can imagine several ways to disarm him. Based on the smirk on the boy, he sees it too. Nico is making it almost too easy.

"Alright, Nico. Let's just see how good you are first, shall we?" he says loudly. Several of the other Ares kids whistle in encouragement

The boy swings at Nico who barely blocks it. The sword falls out of his hand on impact. The boy snickers then waits for Nico to pick up his sword before attacking him again. Nico manages to block several of the swings, but more often than not he is hit with the blunt side of the sword. I want to intervene, but several of the Ares kids block my way.

The boy disarms Nico again and pushes him to the ground. He raises the sword to Nico's exposed back. I push forward only to be held back. In a moment of panic, I elbow one in the face and knee the other in the groin. I rush forward to block the sword right before it hits Nico's back.

Our blades grind together, my knife growing with every second. He's strong, stronger than me. His sword inches closer to me. I twist my sword to push his weapon away.

He snarls at me. "Why don't you go back to your makeup. This is our fight."

I swing at him, but he blocks my attack.

"You were playing dirty. Didn't daddy ever tell you that there is no pride in striking someone with their back turned?" I growl. The part of me that is Ares is coming out, and it is becoming clear to the guy that I'm not the gentle Daughter of Aphrodite he originally thought.

I move around him with my sword drawn. His smug expression makes me want to break his nose. He is under the wrong impression that this will be an easy fight. In one swift motion I knock his feet from under him so that he is lying on his chest. I place one sharp knee on his back and shrink down my sword to the size of a kitchen knife. The edge of it grazes the skin of his neck.

"Next time you want to practice sword fighting, pick someone close to your skill level," I hiss into his ear. When he nods I remove my knife from his neck. The Ares kids glare at me before leaving the practice area.

Nico gazes at me in amazement. His cheeks are still red from the embarrassment of losing the fight, but he is seeing me with a new-found appreciation.

"Thanks, Rina. Those guys are jerks. I just thought they wanted to teach me some moves," he mumbles.

"You're right, they're the biggest jerks." I wrinkle my nose in their direction.

Nico smiles with the same cheerfulness he has had all day. "You're going to have to teach me how to do those sword tricks."

I laugh at his optimism. "Of course, let me show you around the camp first."

I give Nico a tour of the rest of the camp. All the while he is asking questions. It's almost fun to answer his questions only to have three more pop up. There is no doubt in my mind that Nico will be able to get along just fine in Camp Halfblood. And if he doesn't, I'll have his back


	6. Chapter 6

**I would just like to thank everyone who followed or left a kind review. You guys rock! This is longer than the other chapters and I think I might make the rest of the chapters this length. Thank you for taking the time to read this story! I don't own any of the characters in the Percy Jackson series.**

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><p>I frown at my plate of pizza and chicken wings. Even though I have been here for a week, I still can't used to the food. Back on Olympus we would only settle for the highest quality of food from around the world. One day we would have an ancient Chinese delicacy popular during the Shang Dynasty, the next a brick-oven baked pizza straight from Italy. Never any of this 'just-make-food-appear-that-does not-taste-as-good-as-the-real-deal' junk.<p>

Maybe it's just my sour mood that is spoiling the food.

To top off this horrible dinner: I'm all alone. Like every dinner. The Aphrodite table is so empty. Chiron told me that Silena Beauregard, the cabin leader of Cabin 10, arrived yesterday, but I still haven't met her. Several other campers say she likes to hang in the stables, so maybe she was riding a pegasus the whole time so I never ran into her. And since we are already half-way through the dinner, I won't be meeting her soon.

Even though I have no idea who she is or what kind of person she is, I just want her here now so I won't feel so alone. It doesn't help that the Hunters are having the time of their lives at Artemis's table. They are laughing, joking, and arm-wrestling while the only company I have is a leaf and the never-ending goblet of cherry soda.

I take a large sip from the goblet while glaring at the Hunters' table. How dare they be so happy while there are people sitting all alone like Percy, Thalia, and me! I wince as it goes down my throat. I'm beginning to feel like Dionysus: cynical and drinking inadequate refreshments.

Zoe throws back her head in one of her rare laughs. It booms across the dining hall, making me slouch further into the bench. She moves her head to make eye-contact with me. I try to look away, but her demanding eyes keep me from doing so. She lifts up her hand in a motion for me to join them. I shake my head, but she keeps insisting, almost violently hitting her other sisters with her motions.

The Hunters move down the bench so that there is more room for me. I drop my plate next to Zoe's at the head of the table. The silver band in her hair shimmers in the light, almost like the moon. I believe it's her lieutenant band that shows her rank among the Hunters.

"What about the camp rules?" I ask. There are rules that state that the Children of the Gods must sit at their designated tables.

Zoe scoffs. "The rules are not important. Chiron is not voicing any complaints and he is looking straight at you."

I peer over my shoulder. Chiron is staring at me. His lips form a straight, stern line.

"Should we invite Thalia and Percy over here too? They're all alone at their tables." I turn around to look at the two. Thalia is glaring at the table while Percy looks on with question. His eyes flicker between Nico and Bianca. Occasionally I see Nico peek at Bianca, but he looks down quickly before anyone realizes he is staring. But Bianca is the opposite. It's as if she doesn't even remember her brother. She hasn't looked in his direction once since the meal started.

Zoe shakes her head. "Thalia, maybe, but Percy... never. It would be indecent to have a male at Lady Artemis's table. Don't you agree?" Several Hunters murmur in agreement. Zoe and the others are so dead set on never inviting Percy to our table that I don't bother arguing.

Phoebe slams Bianca's arm on the table again. It makes our glasses shake and some pop is spilled. Phoebe one another arm-wrestling contest and is bound to win more.

"Do you remember a lot of us?" Zoe asks out of the blue. Her eyes twinkle with curiosity.

I look at the huntress with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

Her lips curve into a small smile. "Most of the Hunters were here when you joined us on the hunt for a month. Several others have joined since then, but they have heard stories of you. Not many remembered you at first. But when I mentioned you scaring off a grizzly bear with nothing but a rock, they all suddenly remembered."

I laugh at the memory. "That was one of the stupidest things I have ever done. I got mauled!"

Zoe shakes her head with a faint evidence of a smile is on her lips. "No, it was a very brave thing to do. It would have gotten into our food stash for Lady Artemis was away in Olympus. Plus, you healed in a matter of minutes, so it was not as idiotic as you think it was"

"It hurt!" I exclaim. "A lot, too!"

Zoe taps her finger against her temple. "Pain is all up here. If I had the healing capacity that you do, I would be throwing myself between my fellow Hunters and our enemies every day. There would be no hesitation. You should appreciate your gift."

"You say that now but when you actually feel the pain, it's a whole other story," I scoff at her.

"Like I said, pain is all in the head," Zoe replies coolly. "You just have to find a way to block it out."

Isabella, one of the hunters listening in to our conversation speaks up. "Rina, remember the time when you had a buck not even ten yards in front of you and you completely missed it. You almost took out poor Phoebe! The look on her face when the arrow goes an inch away from her nose is something I will never forget!" The rest of the Hunters who were there at the time howl with laughter.

I chuckle. Their laughter is contagious. "I guess it's a good thing that I'm not a Daughter of Apollo! I would be a disappointment." The laughter gets even louder if it's even possible. It almost sounds like a stampede of elephants.

The laughter dies down and the Hunters go back to their individual conversations. Zoe sips from her goblet. I find myself mimicking her actions without me knowing it. I quickly set the goblet down at the realization.

Chiron stands up from his seat to make an announcement. "I would like to personally welcome the Hunters of Artemis. It is always a pleasure to have you here at Camp Halfblood." There is an applause, but it is weak and half-hearted. Nico and Thalia don't bother clapping. "As it is a tradition whenever the Hunters come to Camp Halfblood, there will be a good-will capture the flag tomorrow evening."

This time the applause thunders through the dining area like Zeus is here himself. I can't hear what else Chiron is saying over the excited whispers of the Hunters and campers, but I'm sure that whatever he's saying is not too important.

After dinner we head back to our cabins. Immediately I notice that there's someone resting on one of the beds. A girl who looks exactly like Aphrodite, before her last make-over, is drying off her hair with a pink towel. Her mouth grows into a smile when she sees me enter. She sticks her hand out towards me in a polite handshake.

"I'm Silena, you must be Rina. Chiron said you would be here."

I nod. "It's nice to meet you."

She grins. Her teeth are perfectly straight. Definitely a Daughter of Aphrodite.

"It must've been nice to have the entire cabin to yourself for a while."

"It was lonely. I'm happy now I at least have someone to talk to at dinner."

Silena laughs. "Sorry about that. Normally there are several more here, but I don't know why they're gone." She bites her lip in deep thought then shrugs. "Oh well, you'll get to meet them during the summer unless they have bad monsters problems like I did."

"What sort of monster problems?"

She hangs the wet towel on a nearby hook. "I went to live with my grandparents on their farm in Iowa. That didn't last long. Ended up burning the shed down and had to take tons of buses to get here. Crazy stuff. You ever have it that bad?"

I shake my head. "Actually, I really haven't had much of a monster problem." In fact, the only monsters I have ever seen are fake replicas of ones that I would fight in a controlled arena in Olympus, or when Ares occasionally set them loose in my bedroom.

"Lucky you. Well, might as well call lights out so that we can get a good nights sleep to pulverize those Hunters at capture the flag," she says with an excited gleam in her eye. Silena flips off the lights, and in a matter of minutes, she is asleep.

That night I lie awake with thoughts swirling in my head. Sitting with the Hunters today reminded me of why I liked them so much. They're like a family and they have no worries. It also reminded me why I refused to take the oath. It's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. The fun will only last so long. Shooting arrows at deers becomes boring after a while. The jokes will stop being funny after the tenth time, and the Hunters love to repeat jokes with the same enthusiasm each time.

The life of the Hunters is surprisingly mundane, and I want anything but that.

* * *

><p>"Which side are you going to be on?" Thalia glares at me. She places two hands on her hips. Percy, however, just looks uncomfortable with this whole conversation. He gives me a small grin that shows that this whole confrontation wasn't his idea.<p>

I narrow my eyes. "I'm going to be on the camp's side," I reply.

"Oh, because for a minute I thought you were joining your buddies: the Hunters."

"Why would I be? I'm a camper so I will be on the camp's side!" I snap. Zeus's daughter or not, if she keeps treating me this way she is going to get punched in the nose. That might get me struck by a bolt of lightning, but it will be worth it if it gets her to be quiet.

She raises an eyebrow. "Really? It's just you been so close to them I thought you were joining. They're always searching for fresh meat."

I look over at Zoe and the other hunters. They look sad for some reason. Weird.

"Just because I happen to be on good terms with them doesn't mean I'm on their side" I defend. My fists clench to keep myself from beating her up. I could do it too. She is unprepared; she would never know what hit her. A surprise attack is just what I need to get an upper hand in a fight.

Thalia scoffs. "You know what, forget it. Just help Nico suit up. Gods know he needs it." She glances over at Nico who is trying on a breastplate way too big for him. He reaches behind his to strap it on but his hands can't reach.

Before I can respond, Thalia storms away. She stands in a section far away from everyone else to talk strategy with her co-captain Percy. She keeps talking and talking. Every time Percy opens his mouth, she interrupts. So much for the 'co' in 'co-captains'.

I rush over to help Nico before he falls over. I get him to take off the breastplate and hand him one that should be a better fit. He smiles appreciatively when I'm done. Nico tightens a sword sheath to his waist.

"Do you remember everything I taught you today?" I ask. On the table there is a bronze helmet that looks like it might fit Nico. I pick it up and place it on his head. Just a couple of sizes too big, but good enough.

Nico nods. The helmet almost falls off his head when he does. "Wait for your opponent to attack first then adjust to their movements. Don't back away; keep stepping forward. Always watch your opponent while watching your back at the same time." He brings his eyebrows together as he tries to remember all the pieces of advice I threw at him.

I grab a breastplate closest to my size. It's too big and slides down, but at least it's something. I grab a helmet similar to Nico's and place it on my head. Being small is a curse when using shared armor. Maybe I can ask Hephaestus to forge me armor. But due to his relationship with my mother, I will have an easier time magically transforming into a unicorn than Hephaestus doing me a favor.

"Just be careful and stay out of harm's way. Don't mess with the Hunters too much," I advise while looking at the Hunters. Zoe manages to force a slight smile on her face when she notices me looking at, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Something is definitely wrong.

"You sound like Bianca," Nico mutters under his breath.

"Nico, I will be right back," I say absently.

I run as fast as I can in armor towards the hunters. Several smile when they see me, but all the smiles quickly fall to frowns. One of the Hunters starts sniffling and wiping her eyes. When a camper asks her what's wrong, she says it's her allergies then pushes the camper over for being 'rude'

"Rina, are you joining us for capture the flag?" Bianca asks. She bounces up and down with energy. On her back is a bow that is too big for her tiny body. I sincerely doubt she is strong enough to pull back the string.

I shake my head and turn towards Zoe. "Something's wrong, isn't there?"

Zoe nods. She opens her mouth then closes it in a moment of hesitation. Zoe sets a brave face as an example for her fellow Hunters. "I had a nightmare last night. Artemis is lost." Several of the Hunters let out small sobs at the mention of their goddess.

"How can a goddess be lost?" I exclaim.

Chiron starts to explain the rules and Zoe ushers me away. "Go join your team. We can discuss this later. Now we must play the game."

I don't argue since I see my team already running into the forest. I dash after them, but it's a difficult task when you're wearing pounds of armor and trying not to be slapped in the face with rogue tree branches.

Percy trips over a shield, going from the leader to the last place. He grumbles several curse words under his breath.

"Aren't you the co-captain?" I ask. My voice shakes from running over the rough terrain. I duck to avoid a huge branch that almost smacks Percy in the face.

He nods. "Yeah, I am." Percy frowns. He almost gets hit in the face by Charles's spear, which makes him frown even more.

"Then why aren't you in the front of the group with Thalia?"

Percy's frown turns to a scowl, one almost as bad as Mr. D's. "I should be."

I glance down at his ankles. They are red from the fall. "Are your ankles okay?"

Percy's cheeks light up with a faint blush. "You saw me fall, didn't you?"

I nod and he groans. "I don't think anyone else saw, though," I say to try to make him feel better.

"Nope, everyone saw!" Travis yells back to us. Percy ducks his head and pays attention to the ground as we run to the spot where we are going to put our flag.

* * *

><p>We set our flag upon Zeus's Fist, which is just a pile of rocks that apparently looks like a large fist at the perfect angle. From the top of the hill, I can see most of the woods. I have to give it to Thalia, she picked a very good spot for the flag. It is high enough to see the surrounding are and easier to defend. We also have the upper hand by it being uphill.<p>

Thalia points at me and several other people to come with her to capture the other team's flag. I'm surprised until she says something about seeing me earlier with a sword and wanting someone who is 'skilled and has a level-head' by her side. She may be mean to me, but at least she is a strategist, and that I can respect.

Nico stands awkwardly by my side. His position is to go around the border. Easy enough, but Nico is a nervous wreck. He bounces on his heels while chewing on his bottom lip. I don't blame him since this is a very competitive game.

"What if they hit me with an arrow?" Nico asks, his eyes are wide with excitement or fear. I can never tell with him. Possibly both.

I shrug. "Then you get hit by an arrow."

"Are the arrows dulled?"

"Not at all."

"So it will hurt?"

"Not very much if they only hit you in the hands or feet. They won't kill you, so don't worry about that. It'll be fun" I say the last part as enthusiastically as I possibly can. It must've worked because Nico now looks pumped and ready to fight.

Thalia continues to take charge of the team while Percy stands on the side. I see him occasionally open his mouth to say something but Thalia keeps speaking. I thought they were supposed to co-captain but it seems that Thalia has turned this into a dictatorship.

Thalia looks over at Percy for the first time since we started the game. "Anything to add, Percy?"

He looks surprised that Thalia would ask him that, but he quickly recovers. "Sure. Keep sharp on defense and don't let them through. We've only got a couple of guards and scouts in a big forest. Just yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post." Thalia adds.

"Unless you see a really good opportunity." Percy adds to that quickly.

Thalia glares at the Son of Poseidon. "Just don't leave your post," she says sternly. The ends of her hair let off small sparks.

They argue quietly before she electrocutes Percy. He rubs the spot on his arm where Thalia touched him. She mumbles several more words to him before faceing the rest of the team. "Now, is everyone clear?" she asks. We nod, not wanting to feel even a small fraction of her wrath like Percy did.

Suddenly the horn that begins the game echoes throughout the woods. The game has officially started. Thalia leads me and several other campers who I don't know towards the east woods, where we know the flag will be. There isn't much of a plan except for searching around the most strategic places to hide a flag.

I pull out my knife and grow it to the size of a normal sword. I stay near the ground and roll my feet to be as quiet as possible. The other campers, however, are walking straight up and allowing their armor to clang everywhere. Even if the Hunters were deaf, they would still hear us coming.

"Guys!" I hiss. "They're going to hear us a mile away if you all keep walking like that."

They glance towards me to see how silently I am walking. Some scowl but they mimic my movements without much protest.

Up ahead, we see a silver flag blowing in the wind. There is only one guard, and it's Bianca di Angelo. She holds her bow with an arrow ready to be shot, but her small arms look too thin to pull it back. She's practically defenseless.

I hear a twig snap. I turn my head quickly to see nothing but a tree.

"Like stealing candy from a baby," Thalia whispers. We hold up our weapons and prepare to charge upon the poor demigod, that is before Percy runs through the clearing. He pushes over Bianca and grabs the flag. Then, like a mad man, he makes his escape. Bianca sits up, still in shock from being run down by Percy, and yells for help at the top of her lungs. He is just about out of the clearing when he trips over some sort of wire.

That is when all the Hunters come down on us.

"Percy! What are you doing?" I yell in frustration. The thrill of the fight is filling every single one of my veins as the Hunters notch their arrow.

Since one of the rules of capture the flag is no intentional maiming, so the Hunters aim for our hands and feet. One pierces my foot. The blood stops flowing quickly and leaves an almost glittery look on my shoe. I raise my sword just in time to stop a hunter from stabbing me. I side step and she stumbles when I jerk her back. My elbow connects with her side, knocking the Hunter to the dirt. I pick up her knife and throw it deep into the woods. The Hunter curses from her spot below me.

I begin to rush towards the place where Percy fell. Thalia has the same idea as I do. She almost reaches him when an arrow lands at her feet. A cloud of yellow smoke explodes. The stench it gives off is so revolting that I gag. I have to kneel over so I don't puke all over myself. The rest of my teammates and I rush away from the smoke, coughing. There is no way any of us will be able to stand being near the smell.

Up ahead by the creek I see Zoe rushing towards Percy with our flag in her hand and a smug smile on her face. Right before Percy makes it over the creek to our side, Zoe jumps across, knocks him over, and wins the game. The Hunters cheer at their victory.

Chiron appears out of the woods. The dark shadows of the woods makes him grim. On his back are the Stoll brothers who look like they have really been beaten up by the hunters. They showed no mercy. There are arrows sticking out of their helmets and their legs bend in weird angles.

"The Hunters win," Chiron yells. The Hunters let out shrieks of happiness. "For the fifty-sixth time in a row," he mutters under his breath.

Thalia storms towards Percy. She is so angry that blue sparks shoot from her armor. I instinctively back away. My hair sticks up slightly from being in such close range with her.

"What in the name of the gods were you thinking back there? Are you insane?" The sparks coming off her armor become bigger and bigger.

Percy shakes the flag in his hand at her face. His face becomes red with anger. "I had the flag, Thalia! I saw a chance and I took it!" The creek behind him flows faster. The small trickle turn into waves that are growing bigger by the second. If someone doesn't do something, there will be a full on fight between the two campers.

"I was at the base! But, oh! The flag was gone! If you hadn't butted in we would've won!" she shrieks. Her fists are clenched so hard that she's going to hurt herself.

"There were too many Hunters on you guys!"

Thalia blinks in disbelief. "So it's my fault then?"

Percy shakes his head with abrupt, shaky movements. "I didn't say that!"

Thalia lets out a growl and pushes Percy. A shock of electricity goes through her hands, blowing Percy ten feet into the creek. A couple of the Hunters try to hide their laughter while the campers look on in shock. Even Chiron is shocked to silence. Someone has to do something. This is going too far.

Thalia turns unusually pale. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

A large wave comes from the creek and drenches Thalia. She wipes her wet hair out of her face.

"I didn't mean to either," Percy sneers.

Thalia rushes towards Percy with her sword drawn. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

Nobody makes a move. Not even Chiron. They're too shocked to react. So I do what I think is best: I rush over to her and push Thalia back with all my strength. She brushes me off like I'm not even there.

Percy narrows his eyes. "Bring it, Pinecone Face." I reach my hand out to hold Percy away from Thalia. I manage to keep them apart, but they continue to glare at each other. If looks could kill, both of them would be dead.

The smell of burnt flesh fills the air as Thalia's armor heats like an oven. Blue sparks fly from the metal. I grit my teeth to keep myself from crying out in pain. The palm of my hand feels like it's seared off.

"That's enough, you two!" Chiron yells, but it does nothing to keep the two from trying to get at each other.

There is a loud blast and I feel myself being thrown back. Percy lands in the comfort of the creek while I land on the hard ground. I stand up to see burns all over my arms and hands. If it was anyone else, they would need serious medical attention. The burns will be healed by the morning.

The creek gathers behind Percy into a large orb of water. He raises it above his head, but stops. The water drops back into the creek with a loud splash. He peers deep into the forest. Thalia stops glaring at him and turns around to see what he's looking at. Something odd is approaching. It is surrounded by a green mist that licks the trees and grass as it passes by. The Hunters and campers both gasp at the sight when it becomes close enough to see. It's the oracle.

The withered mummy walks to the center of the campers. It has a gruesome grin on its face, but maybe that's just the expression it always has. It's voice slithers into my mind, and based on everyone's expressions, they can hear it too.

"_I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty python._" It turns towards Zoe with a dead expression in its eyes. "_Approach and ask what you desire._"

Zoe swallows, and for the first time in my life, I have seen her actually nervous. "What must I do to help my goddess, Lady Artemis?"

Its mouth opens with a sickening crunch. A green mist pours out to form an image of a mountain with a girl standing on the top. Artemis is wrapped in chains. I feel a sharp jab rush through me. It's almost as if her pain is also my pain. Seeing the person who took care of me many times during my childhood being tortured like this is almost as though someone is stabbing me in the gut.

_"Five will go west to the goddess in chains, One shall be lost in the land without rain, The bane of Olympus shows the trail, Campers and Hunters combined prevail, The Titan's Curse must one withstand, And one shall parish by a Parent's hand_"

It snaps its mouth shut. The mist recedes back into the mummy. It then shuffles to a rock and sits. The camp falls silent. For the first time, the oracle has left the attic to give someone a life-changing prophecy.

This changes everything.


	7. Chapter 7

There is a sharp knock at the door. I bolt up in bed and immediately grab my knife. Silena groans and turns towards her side. She covers her head with her blanket.

"Can you get that?" she whines.

There is another knock on the door. Silena groans again. I get up slowly. I know this is Camp Halfblood, but I can't help remembering all those nights where Ares released fake hellhounds into my room. He always said that if I'm going to be related to him, I will have to be one of the best warriors out there. Somehow the training involves letting monsters almost kill me.

My paranoid mind rushes to the worst case scenario. I raise my knife as I walk towards the door. The knife wavers, but I quickly control the shake with a firm handhold. I adjust my grip on the knife. Underneath my palm, the metal shift to adjust to my new grip.

My fingers curve around the cold metal of the doorknob. I hesitate on opening the door. Who knows what's behind the door? It could be something harmless like Chiron or potentially dangerous like the harpies choosing to fetch a meal for themselves.

I fling the door open and bring my knife to my potential attacker's throat. It isn't until the blade rests right on his Adam's apple that I realize it is the god Hermes at the cabin door.

He whistles in surprise. "I guess Ares's lessons really stuck with you. We always told him that waking you up via hellhound was just going to make you a paranoid mess."

I pull my knife away from him and my cheeks light up like red Christmas lights. I tilt my head in respect. "Lord Hermes, I didn't know it was you. I so sorry."

He waves his hand as if to brush off our encounter. "That's fine, Rina. Just brought you some mail from the cloud in the sky." He chuckles at his own joke. Hermes struts past me into the cabin to place several envelopes on my bedside table.

Silena sits upright, her hair sticking out everywhere. Her eyes widen when she sees Hermes on my bed. She uses her hands to flatten down her locks so that she looks somewhat presentable.

"Lord Hermes!" she squeaks. Silena bows as much as she can while under the covers of the bed.

Hermes nods to her in acknowledgment. He turns towards me with a somber look. "Athena is very displeased with you when she found out you haven't been keeping up with your studies." His eyes travel towards a letter in a silver envelope with an 'A' on the front.

I moan. "Please tell me that's not one of her lectures in letter form."

"I'm afraid it is. Believe me, she would've come down here herself to lecture you if Apollo didn't step in."

"Tell him I said thank you."

Hermes snickers. "You might be able to tell him yourself," he winks. I'm about to ask him what he means when Hermes's phone rings. He reads at the caller ID and scowls. "George, Martha, I told you not to let her call me again until she pays the fees for the last package I shipped!"

A quiet voice comes out from the phone. "Sssorry but it seems urgent. She already left ssseveral messssages. Oh! Assssk Rina if she has any ratsss. I love ratssss."

Hermes scowls. "No, I will not ask her that!" he snaps. Hermes closes his eyes for several seconds. "Sorry, Rina. I might as well see what she wants. I'm sure I will see you sometime."

"Goodbye Lord Hermes. I hope you don't have many deliveries today."

Hermes smiles. "You always were a sweet child." With that he disappears; it's as if he never was here in the first place. The only evidence of his visit is the letters on my bedside table and a flustered Silena.

Silena gawks at me with wide eyes. "I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but why on earth did Lord Hermes come to visit you?" she asks. Any sign of her being tired was washed away when her eyes landed on the god.

I hold up the letters. "To deliver some mail."

She lets out a unladylike snort. "Must be some pretty special mail for Lord Hermes to deliver the letters personally." Silena lays back down in her bed to gain some more sleep.

I reach into my chest to grab a flashlight. While being aware that I'm not the only one in the room, I take my letters under a blanket along with the flashlight Apollo gave me as a going-away present.

I make sure it's to the lowest setting before turning it on, remembering his warning about it being able to blind someone. Even on its dimmest setting it is very bright. The light wiggles around in the canister. Sunlight is very difficult to contain; it's too energetic. Apollo must've gone through a lot of trouble getting this.

My gut is telling me to not to look at Athena's letter. It will just be a long lecture, but I can care less if she is calling me the worst person in the world as long as I can have some sort of connection with the goddess. This past week has reminded me how much I actually enjoyed our study sessions. Back then, I thought she was overbearing, but now I see her in a new, appreciative light. She only wanted what was best for me.

I curl my fingers around the silver envelope. It smells like home. I open the envelope. The paper is such high quality that it can only be from Olympus. Athena has never been one to use computers so the words are hand-written carefully with ink.

_Dear Rina,_

_It distresses me that you haven't been keeping up with your studies. It is very important that you continue learning the information otherwise all the hours of studying we did will go to waste. You must continue to learn and expand your mind. I know that you must be enjoying yourself in camp, but you cannot forget to complete the workbooks! If your lack of motivation for your work regresses anymore, I will be forced to assign work to you and have you send it to me or face terrible consequences. I can assure you that it will be equivalent to Zeus himself striking someone down with his master bolt._

_Do not underestimate my ability to make sure you are well-educated._

_I care about you, that's why I want you to succeed in life. You cannot succeed without the proper knowledge. I hope that you take this opportunity to get back on track with your studies._

_I will be paying attention._

_-A_

I shudder at the last sentence. It makes me think the other gods are also watching my every move, examining my ever decision. I thought it would be comforting to know that someone is looking out of me, but it's the opposite. It feels like they are intruding in my life. As if they just walked into my house, sat at my kitchen table, and watched me eat dinner without ever asking me if they could come inside. It is creepy feeling, similar to spiders crawling all over me.

There is another envelope; this one is a bright yellow and glitters in the light. I open it to see a letter from Apollo, though I can guess that it is from him without seeing his name on the bottom of the letter from the extravagant envelope.

_Rina!_

_I have never been one for letters, but this is the only way I can contact you, so I'll take it! Athena is mad at you, and I'm sure you know why. I'm also sure you do not need another lecture. I will say this, though: she has a point. You need to educate yourself. (Don't tell her that, though. You know that she will never let me forget if I agree with her.)_

_Aphrodite still refuses to take away that promise of the 'most beautiful, undying love that will make even the iciest heart melt to a puddle'. Your mother's words not mine. I'll continue to try to talk her out of it, but her mind is dead set. You may have a fantastic love story to look forward to._

_It's been lonely here without you. I didn't realize how much of my time you took up until you left. It's so boring without you. Honestly, I might even settle to go back to the times where I had to change your diaper if it meant getting you back up here._

_I'm sure that we will meet again soon. Maybe when I come and visit my kids, I will visit you too. How does that sound?_

_-Apollo_

It isn't the same as seeing him face to face, but if a letter is as good as it will get then I'm happy that I have letters from two of my favorite gods. They are practically family. Of course, I consider all the gods family, but Apollo and Athena are basically my parents. And that will never change, no matter how much makeup Aphrodite forces onto me. The last in the pile of letters is a blue that looks like the ocean was compacted into a single envelope. It smells like sea salt and almost feels damp in my hands. It's definitely the most unusual of the three envelopes.

I open the envelope. A blast of ocean spray smacks my face. The letter inside the envelope disappoints me. Poseidon doesn't ask how I'm doing, or at least say hello. There is only a single sentence:

_Tomorrow night let Blackjack, the pegasus, out of his stall._

_-P_

Poseidon is using me. Those words rattle around in my skull. He's using me like the gods always use the heroes of Camp Halfblood. I guess it is silly of me to think that he would want to see if I was doing fine. Poseidon and I were never close like Athena and Apollo are to me.

The letter leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I know I shouldn't take it personally —because this is what gods do— but unfortunately I do. As much as I want to rip up the later and say 'screw him', I know I shouldn't refuse a request by a god or else the next time I go swimming I could be eaten by a Giant Squid. Do Giant Squids eat people? Probably not, but Poseidon could most likely make one eat me if he really wanted to.

I turn off the flashlight and set the envelopes in the chest by my bed. I look out the window. It's pitch black. There is nothing left to do but go back to sleep.

* * *

><p>I raise an eyebrow at Nico who is running across the volleyball field and to my spot at the armory. My hands vigorously shine a breastplate, but someone left it out in the rain to rust. If I ever find out who it is, they will have a good smack to the face. With my sword. I move my eyes from the boy running towards me and back to the irritating piece of metal. Even when I push down as hard as I can, I can't seem to make this piece of armor shine.<p>

Nico gasps for breath. He leans against the wall and takes in deep mouthfuls of air. When he has caught his breath, he speaks to me with a breathy voice. "They... are... deciding... what to do about the... prophecy in the Big House," he gasps. Nico leans over and places his hands on his knees.

I throw the infuriating piece of armor to the side with a clang, adding even more dents to it. "Right now?"

"Right now!"

I drag him behind me as we dash towards the large building. Even if we aren't invited to the meeting, we will eavesdrop. Maybe I can help them in some way. With my connections to the gods, I can probably help more than they think.

By the time we reach the side of the Big House, Nico looks like he's about to die but I feel like I can run another five miles. Nico leans against the building.

"Did we have to run?" he asks between deep breaths.

I roll my eyes. "We don't want to miss anything." I start towards the door, but Nico holds me back.

"Only cabin leaders are allowed."

I swear several greek profanities under my breath. I'm just about to give up when I see an open window. Very convenient. We walk under it, and if we hold our breaths, we can hear the conversation. I sit on my knees so that I can peer over the ledge into the room.

They are surrounding a ping-pong table covered with snacks. Mr. D is engrossed in a wine magazine while the others talk. Grover stuffs cheese whiz and ping-pong balls into his mouth. Everyone else keeps away from the snacks.

"There is no time to talk!" Zoe exclaims. She balls her hands into a righteous fist. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asks.

There is a long moment of silence. Bianca perks up from a sudden realization. "West!" She jumps up in her seat. Her hair comes slightly out of its braid. In the past few days, she has looked more and more like the Hunters. Now she appears as if she has belonged to them the whole time. Her skin has a soft glow to it and I swear her arms are more muscular. "You all heard the prophecy too. _Five shall go West to the goddess in chains_."

Zoe gazes proudly at Bianca. "We shall take five Hunters then go right away. We must find and free Lady Artemis at whatever cost it takes!"

Thalia glares at the huntress. "You're forgetting something, as usual. _Campers and Hunter combined shall prevail_. Obviously we have to work together. We have to follow the prophecy," Thalia reminds her.

"No! The Hunters do not need thy help!" Zoe snaps. Her eyes shine with a ferocity that would make the gods afraid but Thalia doesn't back down.

"Your!" Thalia says while gritting her teeth. "Nobody has said 'thy' in three hundred years."

Zoe forms her mouth to correctly say your. She hesitates for several seconds then makes a sound that sounds more like yer than your. "Yerrrrr. We do not need yerr help. Yerrr? Yerrr help. Yerrr..."

Thalia scoffs at her. "Forget it."

Chiron looks between the two. "I fear the prophecy states the Hunters do in fact need help from the campers. Campers and Hunters have to cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D says. He takes a diet coke up to his nose and smells it like someone would smell a fine wine. He winces but sips from the can anyway. "_One shall be lost, one shall perish. _That sounds rather... nasty, right? What if you fail because you cooperate?" he muses. Zoe nods in determination.

Chiron sighs. "Mr. D, which side are you on?"

Mr. D shrugs. "Sorry, just being helpful." I have to keep myself from laughing at the thought of Mr. D being helpful. It's one of the funniest things I have heard in a while.

Thalia stares at Zoe with determined eyes. "We're supposed to work together. I don't like it either, but you know prophecies. You want to see what happens when you fight against one?"

Zoe grimaces and looks uncomfortable in her seat. The corners of Thalia's mouth lift into a small smirk at her silent victory.

"We cannot delay," Chiron warns. He looks around the room at each person. "Today is Sunday. On Friday is the Winter Solstice."

This is much more serious than I originally thought. Without Artemis at the meeting, the gods will decide on nothing. Another year where we can be preparing against Kronos will be lost.

Zoe speaks to the group, and it seems she has the same idea as me. "Artemis has to be present in Olympus for the Solstice. She has been the most vocal arguing about taking action against Kronos and his minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing and a year of war preparation would be wasted."

Dionysus looks at the Huntress curiously. "Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together?" he asks.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D lips curl into one of approval. "Alright, just checking. And they do, by the way. Carry on."

Chiron's face morphs into a worried expression. "I have to agree with Zoe. Her presence on the council is very crucial. There is only a week to find her. And quite possibly more important: finding the monster she was hunting. Now we must decide who will go on this quest."

"Three and two," Percy says. Everyone turns to look towards the demigod. His cheeks turn a light pink from the sudden attention. "We're supposed to have five. Three Hunters, two campers. That's more than fair."

"That does make sense," Thalia agrees. Silena, Charles, and the Stoll brothers also seem to approve of the idea.

Zoe grunts in support, but she doesn't look completely satisfied. "I would prefer to take five Hunters. We need strength in numbers."

"You will be retracing the goddess's path. Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. The five who are going with have to do the same. The prophecy was very clear: _The bane of Olympus shows the trail_." Chiron says.

"Still would be best with five Hunters," Zoe persists.

Chiron shakes his head. "What would Lady Artemis say? Too many Hunters spoil the scent. We both know that a small group is best."

Zoe opens her mouth to disagree but closes it quickly. She picks up a ping-pong paddle and glares at all the campers. Zoe swings it back and forth in her hands. "I have hunted by Lady Artemis's side for many years yet I have no idea what this monster could be. I'm not even sure that I have ever seen this creature in my entire life. Whatever it is, it is a powerful and dangerous monster."

Everyone falls silent, even Dionysus, but maybe that's because he's too interested in his wine magazine to be bothered with the threat of a dangerous creature.

Percy taps his fingers against the table. "Do you have any idea what it is, Chiron?"

Chiron purses his lips in distaste. "I have several ideas; none of them are remotely good. None of them make any sense, either. Typhon, for instance, is truly the bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster, Keto. But we would all know it if either of them were stirring. They are the size of skyscrapers and Poseidon would've sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be even more elusive and possibly more powerful."

The Stoll brother's exchange a glance. "Sounds like some serious danger you're facing. It seems like at least two out of the five will die," Conner Stoll says. He looks at the other people at the table as if to decide who will not return.

"_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_" Charles repeats a part of the prophecy to himself. "If I were you I would stay out of the desert."

Grover nervously pops a ping-pong ball into his mouth. "_One shall perish by a parent's hand. _Why would someone's parent want to kill them?" he comments.

Chiron looks increasingly worried by the second. His father is Kronos. I'm sure that if Kronos was here, he wouldn't have a single moment of hesitation to kill Chiron.

There is a long silence until Chiron's calm, unwavering voice breaks it. "There will be deaths. That we do know," he says slowly.

Silena looks over at Percy. "Percy is right. Two should go from the camp."

Zoe narrows her eyes at the Daughter of Aphrodite. "Oh, I see. You're volunteering, then?"

Silena blushes and clenches her fists. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters! Don't look at me!"

Zoe lets out a dry chuckle. "A Daughter of Aphrodite doesn't wish to be looked at? What would your mother say? Perhaps your sister would like to join us. She has experience with the Hunters and she is very skilled with a sword. Rina would be a valuable asset to the quest."

Silena grows angrier by the second. She slams her fist on the table. "You stay away from Rina, and everyone from the Aphrodite cabin for that matter!" She starts to jump out of her chair but the Stoll brothers hold her back. After several seconds of struggling, Silena sits back down with a huff.

"Both of you stop it," Charles's voice booms. "Let's decide about the Hunters first. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stands up with an aura of pride. "I shall go and I will take Phoebe. She is our most skilled tracker." She looks down at Bianca sitting in the chair next to her. "And I would wish for Bianca to join."

Nico's mouth falls slack and he lunges up to the window to get a better look.

"Just hold on, Nico," I hiss at him. He mumbles something under his breath then takes his spot by the window again. The scowl on his face reminds me of someone. I know he reminds me of a god, but which one?

Bianca watches Zoe with a stunned expression. "Me?"

Zoe nods. "Yes, you."

"But... but I'm new! I won't be any help."

"There is no better way to prove thyself. You will be fine." Zoe reassures confidently.

"And for campers?" Chiron asks. He makes eye contact with several of the demigods at the table.

The satyr springs up from his seat, dropping several ping-pong balls. "Me! I will do anything to help Artemis and the Hunters!" he almost yells enthusiastically.

Zoe wrinkles her nose in disgust, and not because of the crumbs and half eaten ping-pong balls that fell off Grover's lap. "I think not. You're not even a demigod," she scoffs.

Grover looks down at his lap with a defeated expression. Thalia immediately comes to his aid. "But Grover is a camper. He's got a satyr's sense and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet?"

His eyes grow wide with hope. "Absolutely!"

Zoe opens her mouth to disagree but thinks otherwise. I don't blame her. A tracker's song would be very helpful on the trip to find Artemis. She straightens her back. "Very well. What about the second camper?"

"I'll go," volunteers Thalia. She glares around the table to dare anyone to disagree with her.

Percy shakes his head. "Whoa, wait. I want to go too."

The table falls quiet. Grover looks over at his friend with a guilty expression. "Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot! Percy has to go! I didn't mean... Percy has to take my place." Grover says finally.

Zoe glares at Percy with such hatred that only Zoe can muster up. "He is a _boy._." She hisses the sentence with more venom than a poisonous snake. "I refuse to have the Hunters travel with him."

"You traveled here with me," Percy reminds her.

"That was a short-term occurrence and an order from Lady Artemis. I will not go across the country and fight alongside a boy," Zoe replies with the same ferocity as before.

"What about Grover?"

She shakes her head. "He is a satyr. Technically he is not a boy."

Grover lets out a sound of protest while Percy is getting angrier by the second. "I have to go on this quest!"

"Because of thy friend, Annabeth? The one who fell from the cliff?" Zoe asks calmly.

Percy blushes. "No! I mean, that's part of the reason. I just know that I am supposed to go!"

"No," Zoe booms. She takes a deep breath and repeats quieter. "No. I insist on this. I will travel alongside a satyr but not a male hero. I refuse to allow it."

Percy opens his mouth to object more, but Chiron interrupts him. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions." He sighs. There is a long moment of silence. "So be it. Thalia and Grover will join Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods be with you."

Chiron concludes the meeting and everyone goes their own ways. Thalia leaves with Bianca and Zoe to make arrangements for their travels. Grover goes finds other satyrs to tell them the news while Percy heads to his cabin to sulk.

Nico starts to chase after his sister, but I hold him back. He jerks his arm from my grasp. "What are you doing? I have to make my sister stay!"

"We can't say anything! They will know we overheard them!"

"I don't care!" he snaps. "I don't want to lose my sister!" Nico storms after them but I pull him back again, more gently this time.

"Do you think she'll stay just because you tell her to? She's a Hunter now. She can't go against Zoe."

Nico narrows his eyes. "And why not?"

"She's her lieutenant. Disobeying her would be close to disobeying Artemis," I reason. Nico stops pulling against me.

He looks like he is close to tears. "I don't want her to die, Rina."

"Maybe I can do something about that," I say after several beats of silence. I pull him to the side of the Big House where nobody will see us. "You're going to have to promise never to tell anyone, okay?"

Nico nods. "I promise."

"Swear on the river Styx."

"The river Styx?" Nico furrows his eyebrows.

I sigh. "Swearing on the river Styx is one of the most powerful and serious promises. If you break it, it is said that you would face a fate worse than death." I see the hesitation in Nico's eyes. "I wouldn't be asking you to do this if it wasn't important."

He pauses. "I swear on the river Styx that I will never tell anyone." A rumble of thunder echoes across the sky to signify the promise.

I close my eyes and picture Bianca's face in my mind. It has been years since I have done anything like this so I won't be perfect.

My face moves to resemble Bianca. A dark brown color runs from my roots to the tips of my hair, still remaining purple where it is has been dyed by the Stoll brothers. Each strand of hair moves to a side braid like Bianca has. I open my eyes to see Nico staring at me with wide eyes.

"So, do I look like her?" I ask.

Nico taps his own nose. "The nose is wrong. Make it more like mine." My nose shifts to resemble Nico's, just as he said. "Bianca doesn't have a huge spot of purple in her hair, either," he comments.

I look at the ground sheepishly. "I can't change that. Can you get me a hat?"

He takes off running and comes back several minutes later with a Camp Halfblood hat. Most likely from the Stoll brothers who always steal from the camp store. I place it on my head.

"Can the other kids of Aphrodite do that too?" Nico asks.

I shake my head. "No, only me. I think." While I speak I change my voice to get as close to Bianca as I can. It's like tuning a guitar: you have to be patient.

"This is weird." He looks like a deer caught in headlights. This won't be the weirdest thing he will see, though.

I shrug. "I don't like doing this, but desperate time calls for desperate measures."

"How can you do this, if your siblings can't?"

I shrug. "I just have been able to do this sort of stuff ever since I was born. My mother can change her looks to however she wants, and I guess I can too."

Nico moves aside so that I can walk by. I dash towards the direction Zoe, Bianca, and Thalia went. They are writing supplies on a list then grabbing them from the medical tent. Ambrosia, gauze, vitamins, you name it. Occasionally I see Zoe and Thalia glaring at each other, but other than that, they are surprisingly getting along.

Bianca says something to Zoe and leaves. She heads towards the bathrooms. I follow her from a distance. When the door closes behind her I place a wood chair under the handle. It doesn't feel good to lock Bianca in the bathroom, but it has to be done.

I walk up to Thalia and Zoe. Thalia smiles when she sees me come up. "We almost have everything on the list," she says.

"Actually, I have been thinking. I don't want to go on the quest," I tell them.

Thalia opens her mouth in protest. "I know you're nervous but it will be fine."

Zoe raises an eyebrow at me; she taps her foot on the ground. "Why not?"

I shuffle my feet in the dirt. "Because I am unprepared. I need more time to train before I go on any quests."

Zoe shakes her head. "You have trained with Artemis's Hunters. There are no better teachers. You are prepared, my dear Bianca."

"No! I'm not! I refuse to go," I say sternly. Thalia shrugs and continues to gather medical supplies. Once she leaves the tent, Zoe rips off my hat so fast that I have no time to react.

"Aikarina, why did you impersonate Bianca?" Her lips form a straight line.

I sigh and let my hair fall out of the braid. My face contorts back to the one I was born with and my hair returns to the unnatural purple. "I don't know. I thought that if you thought she told you that she didn't want to go, then she would be safe at camp. She can't go."

Zoe narrows her eyes. "I'm very disappointed. Years ago you told me that you would never do this sort of... treachery. Did the _boy_ tell you to do this?"

"_Nico_ didn't tell me to do anything." I snap. "I did this because I am his friend and Bianca will be one of those who will die during this quest." My arms wrap around my waist. "I can feel it."

Zoe stays silent. "You notice it too," she whispers.

I nod.

"It's like a weight on my mind. From the moment I met her I knew that she would die a Hunter. I can't explain it."

"It's like a nagging feeling in the back of your head."

Zoe nods. "That's exactly how it feels."

"Then you won't let her come with?" I ask hopefully.

Zoe shakes her head. "There is no way to know that she will be one of the two who will perish on this quest. It may not be her time. There is no way to know for certain that Bianca will die on this quest. I will ensure, to my best abilities, that this quest will not be the end of her."

My mouth falls slack in disbelief. "You know that's not true. These feelings do not appear for no reason. Keep her at Camp Halfblood with her brother. She will be safe here!"

"Fighting fate is a useless endeavor. You know that as well as I. If it is her fate to die, then so be it," Zoe says sharply. "This will be the last of this I hear from you. Bianca will go on the quest unless she herself tells me otherwise." Zoe storms out of the tent, leaving me alone with only the medical supplies as company.

Her words bounce around in my head. What if it is Bianca's fate to die on the quest? The real question is can I stand to let her leave knowing that she will not return?

No, maybe Zoe is right. It might not be Bianca' time to die. I will have to have faith in the Hunters' ability to protect their own.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you everyone who followed, favorited, or left a review for this story! Your support is appreciated! Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the Percy Jackson series. I only own Aikarina and several future characters. **

**There is some Greek in this chapter, but English is my first language and honestly I don't know any Greek. I just stuck it into google translate and hoped for the best. If it's wrong then I would appreciate for someone to tell me so that I can change it!**

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><p>Outside it is still dark. The sun hasn't risen yet and the stars are still out. Silena is sleeping peacefully in her bunk, occasionally letting out a loud snore. All is as it should be, except for me.<p>

I grab my sword from my nightstand and tip toe past her bed. Poseidon's letter is still fresh in my mind. He expects me to do as I'm told and I don't feel like testing to see how much I can disobey the powerful god.

I open the door slowly. A cool draft blows into the room. Silena tugs on her blankets but doesn't wake up. I let out a sigh of relief then exit the cabin. If she catches me, there would be no way she would let me out to the stables alone, and I don't feel like dragging her to the harpy buffet.

Immediately when I step on the pathway, there is the shriek of the harpies. It's almost as if they were specifically waiting for the moment I step outside of my cabin. The stables are only a bit away from the cabins. I should be able to get there before the harpies come. They aren't the fastest creatures in the world. On my way back, however, I will have trouble.

I run across the camp, sword still in my hand, until I reach the large wooden door. I fling it open. The horses stick their heads out of their stalls to see the visitor. They smack me with their noses as I walk by, as if to beg me to take them for a ride. I reach one of the stalls that says '_Blackjack'_ in cursive writing. Inside is a black pegasus staring at me with wide, chocolate eyes. He ruffles his wings in excitement and I get an odd feeling that he has been expecting me.

"Hi, Blackjack. My name's Rina," I say as I open the stall. "I don't know it you can understand me but Lord Poseidon asked me to let you out."

The pegasus lets out an affectionate grunt at the god's name. I rub my hand along his head. He's so soft. Blackjack rubs his head along my hand. Suddenly his ears perk up in surprise. Blackjack clops out of his stall and out the open door without looking back. The other horses neigh in jealousy that Blackjack gets to escape his stall.

I walk outside. Blackjack starts flying above the lake in circles. Occasionally he makes an odd noise and bubbles pop on the surface of the lake. Almost as if he is communicating with something down there. There is a variety of creatures in the lake, so there is no way of knowing what he is talking to.

The harpies screech again. They are literally right behind me. I swing my sword around to see three harpies staring at me with beady eyes. They ruffle their feathers at my sudden movement.

"Dinner for hungry harpies!" one of the harpies caws. It licks its beak in anticipation. Several red feathers fall from its arm and into the grass. It hisses at the fallen feathers. "I hate it when the harpies molt. Feathers fall everywhere!"

I hold my sword out in front of me so that I can swing at the harpies properly if they dare walk any closer to me. Its eyes scan my body and stop at my legs and arms. "This one is strong. Good meal for harpies!" the harpy screeches in delight. It starts to walk towards me when a second harpy holds it back with a feathery claw.

"No, harpies cannot eat this one. Not the ischyró éna," it croaks. But based on its beady glare similar to the other harpies, it wants to eat me as much as the others.

My mind takes several seconds to catch up with the shift in languages. Ischyró éna (_A/N spelt as ισχυρό ένα in Greek_) means powerful one. "What are you talking about?" I ask. They take a step forward and they are greeted by the slash of my sword. The harpies jump back with a squawk.

The first harpy continues to stare at me as if I am a meal. "But she smells so good. Better than the rest of the half-bloods! Harpy wants to eat her!"

"The harpies cannot eat this one!" the third harpy that has remained silent until now growls. Its voice echoes across the empty camp, most likely waking up several campers.

There is a breeze from the flap of wings above me. A second later a dark black mass falls down from the sky between me and the harpies. They let out a scream of surprise and try to escape from the pegasus.

"What are you doing?" I ask in disbelief.

Blackjack whinnies at me. Unfortunately, I cannot speak pegasus. Despite the language barrier, its eyes seem to scream at me that it's very important. It's not my place to question him, so I get on his back.

Blackjack trots over to Cabin 3, also known as the cabin for children of Poseidon. With me still on its back, Blackjack clops to the porch and hits the door with its leg. There is no answer. He hits the door again and Percy swings the door open with his sword in his hand. He nearly stabs the poor pegasus. Blackjack rears up and I hold on to his neck for dear life. When he lands on all fours again, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

Percy stares at Blackjack and the Pegasus stares back. There is an unspoken communication between the two.

Percy sighs. "Blackjack, it's the middle of the night." He looks around Blackjack's head to see me on his back. "Rina? What are you doing here?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Blackjack wanted me here. Maybe he can tell you."

Percy turns towards Blackjack for some proper answers. He groans after several moments. "How many times have I told you that you don't have to call me boss?"

There is several more moment of silence. I shift awkwardly on the Pegasus's back. Honestly, this is the most boring conversation I have ever heard. It would be nice if Percy at least repeat back what Blackjack says.

"Shouldn't you be in the stables? And shouldn't Rina be back in her cabin? You can't make campers ride on your back to wherever you want them to go." Percy says with an irritated expression on his face.

If a horse can scowl, then Blackjack is doing exactly that. Percy tilts his head thoughtfully. "Well… no I guess not."

Percy sighs in annoyance. "Again? What about Rina?"

The pegasus looks back at me thoughtfully while Percy looks like he is almost fed up with the horse. "I'm sure the hippocampi would love her, they love everyone as long as they aren't scuba divers, but there is a big problem with your plan. She can't breathe underwater, Blackjack. She'll drown."

Blackjack whinnies in protest and Percy sighs, giving into him. "Yeah, I guess my powers can protect her if I hold onto her, but what if she doesn't want to go? It's the middle of the night. She probably wants to go back to bed."

I lean forward so that Percy can hear me better. "I have no clue what you're talking about, but I'm wide awake. Whatever you're going to do, I'm in."

Blackjack grunts in approval.

Percy sighs again. "You sure? I don't know if it's safe for you to be that deep underwater. I've never really done this with anyone."

I give him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. It'll just be an adventure."

Percy goes inside to grab a baseball cap then comes outside. He gets behind me on Blackjack's back.

"So what are we doing?" I ask.

"The hippocampi need help. Have you rode a pegasus before?"

I nod. "Yeah once."

"Great. I hope you like to ride fast because that's the only speed Blackjack goes."

I begin to ask him what he means, but the thump of Blackjack's wings is too loud. The pegasus starts to trot then breaks into a full sprint. We lift up slowly until we are skimming above the waves. Percy wasn't kidding. We are going about 100 miles per hour. The waves spray us in the face; I'm drenched and I haven't even gotten into the water. I look back at Percy to see him completely dry. Stupid Son of Poseidon with his stupid abilities.

I give Percy a wide smile. He smiles back but makes the mistake of opening his mouth as we fly through a cloud of gnats. It takes all my self-control not to fall off Blackjack laughing as Percy gags on the bugs.

"This is where we get off!" Percy yells over the thump of Blackjack's wings, making sure to not swallow any bugs.

I look down at the water then back at him. "Here?"

Percy nods with a smirk. "Just don't let go of me, okay?" I nod and grab Percy's hand. Then without warning we go tumbling into the waves.

There is a sharp sting when we land in the water, but it quickly goes away. I close my mouth and try to keep water from entering my nose. I grip to Percy's hand so tightly that I probably stopped circulation. My lungs start to burn from holding in. I struggle to pull us both back above the water.

"You're fine, you can breathe underwater," Percy tells me. Surprising, his voice doesn't come out as distorted from the water as I thought it would.

I decide to trust him and take a deep breath. He is right. The water flows into my lungs just like air does. As long as I am holding on to Percy, I should be protected by his powers as well.

I feel something push up against my back. It's the ocean currents. They propel us further and further underwater. We get so far down that I'm sure any normal human would feel extremely uncomfortable. Luckily Percy's list of abilities include being able to go as far underwater as he wants.

As we get closer to the bottom, I see the hippocampi. Their manes are a pure white, tails are a beautiful rainbow color that glimmers in the water, and they radiate a soft glow.

"They're so gorgeous," I whisper even though gorgeous isn't a strong enough word to describe them. They are the sort of things little girls dream about at night and ask Santa for as a present for Christmas.

Percy nods. "Yeah, but something's definitely wrong." He has a point. The hippocampi are swimming around in the water frantically like horses during a thunderstorm. Whatever it is, it must be truly upsetting.

When we get closer I see a dark shape entangled in a mess of nets by an overturned boat. The hippocampi try to chew at the nets, but it doesn't make a difference.

They jerk up in surprise at our approach. They swarm around Percy. Based on the annoyed expression on his face, they must all be talking to him at once. I've spoken to Poseidon during one of Olympus's famous celebrations and he said that hippocampi have very high-pitched voices. If too many talk at once, they can give even a god a headache.

The hippocampi swim around us in hasty, unsure movements. Occasionally they make sounds like a baby's cry. We move carefully so that we don't accidentally hit one while we swim closer to the poor, trapped creature. I gently nudge one out of my way, which gets me a very nasty look from several of the hippocampi.

One of them swims up to my face and glares at me.

Percy stifles a laugh. "They're asking if you're a scuba diver."

I shake my head. "I'm not," I tell them.

That seems to please the hippocampi because they stop glaring at me so harshly. One even rubs its head affectionately on my hand.

"Moooooo" The creature groans. I squint at the dark mass to see what looks like a cow with a tail.

I almost gasp when I realize that I recognize it. I have heard stories about it as a child. It's black, scaly tail the worms around underneath it is undeniably familiar. The top half of it is most definitely a cow with its brown eyes and spots.

"Percy, that is Ophiotaurus!" I gasp.

He raises an eyebrow. "Ophio-what?"

"Ophiotaurus," I repeat. My eyebrows knit together. "I don't remember what, but I know there is something very important about it. I just can't remember the story..." I know that there is something very important about this creature. Deep down, I just know it but I can't place my finger. Athena would often tell me stories about different creatures as bedtime stories. I'm sure that the story of Ophiotaurus was one of them.

Percy moves towards Ophiotaurus and it moos again. "Whoa there, where did you come from?" he asks. It only replies with a sad moo. Percy turns to me. "I can't understand it. I guess talking to sea-cows isn't in my list of abilities."

I roll my eyes. "It's not a sea-cow."

"Well then what would it be?" He raises an eyebrow.

"An... Ophiotaurus," I say slowly.

"Isn't that its name, though?"

I glare at Percy then sigh in defeat. "Yes, of course that is its name. Now that I think about it, sea-cow seems right."

Percy laughs to himself. He grabs the net and tries to tug on it. Ophiotaurus lets out a cry of protest and Percy stops immediately. "You said something about Ophiotaurus being important. What is it? Maybe we could ask Chiron."

I knit my eyebrows together. "I... I don't remember. All I remember is that long ago it was placed in the heavens as a constellation. I don't remember much else about it."

Percy shrugs. "She probably isn't that important then if you can't remember anything about her." He turns to Ophiotaurus. "No offense."

"She?" I ask.

"It looks like a she," Percy says casually.

I stare at Ophiotaurus. It does look very much like a she with her wide eyes and almost feminine features. Can cows have feminine features? Plus, his guess is as good as mine at Ophiotaurus's gender. There's a fifty/fifty chance of him being right.

Percy takes out a pen and uncaps it to reveal his sword. It gives off a copper reflection in the water. Ophiotaurus's eyes grow wide with terror. She thrashes around, causing the boat to tilt slightly.

"I'm not going to hurt you! Just let me cut the net!" Percy pleads, but she doesn't understand him. She continues to thrash around and kick up muck in the sand. The hippocampi start to freak out too, swarming in a vortex.

"Put away the sword!" I yell over the sound of the hippocampi neighing in distress.

He looks at me with wide eyes. "Then how are we supposed to get her out of the net?"

"Just put it away!" I yell back.

Percy lifts the arm that isn't holding on to me in defense. He recaps his sword.

"Look, Ophiotaurus, no sword. You can calm down now," I reassure with a soft voice. She seems to calm down. Her eyes aren't as wide and terrified anymore.

"Calm thoughts. Seagrass. Mama cows. Vegetarianism," Percy says soothingly.

"Seaweed meadows, sea-cow friends, seagrass cud." I follow his lead.

Ophiotaurus quiets completely. She lets out a sigh of content. I run my hand along her side which calms her down even more. "Mooooo," she sighs.

I look up at the boat that looks dangerously close to crushing her. "Percy, we have to move that boat."

His face drains of color when he sees how close it is to ending poor Ophiotaurus's life. Percy thinks for several moments then turns towards the hippocampi. "Okay, I need you guys to push exactly when I tell you to."

The hippocampi move into positions on the side of the boat. I have one hand against the boat while the other holds on to Percy.

"Push!"

We push as hard as we can but the boat isn't moving. Percy and I need to use both of our hands. We let go of each other and push against the boat. Immediately I feel the pressure build in my body. My chest begins to ache and my ears pop. It is not a pleasant feeling. With all that, my lungs start to ache from holding my breath.

We push the boat over with a clank. Immediately I clutch back onto Percy. The effects of being underwater wear off. I take a deep, calming breath. My heart is racing at a million miles per hour. It is terrifying to think that you are forty feet under the water with no way to breathe.

"You okay?" he asks. His eyes are wide with concern. I can't blame him. If anything happens to me down here, it will be his fault. He is the one who brought me to the bottom of the lake, after all.

I nod. "Yeah, just felt weird. That's all."

Percy doesn't look too convinced but lets it go. There are bigger problems. Ophiotaurus is still stuck in the net.

* * *

><p>We spend a long time trying to untangle her. Since Ophiotaurus's name was too long, we begin to call her Bessie. Well, Percy did and I went along with it. It seems fitting.<p>

"We're almost done, Bessie," I whisper as I grab the net and tug.

Bessie lets out a small moo. "It's okay, Bessie. Good cow, nice cow." Percy mumbles. He tugs on the net one last time. Bessie is able to wiggle free. She zips away and does several somersaults in the water. She looks truly happy to be out of the net.

Bessie swims back and nuzzles us both affectionately with her nose. I ran my hand over her head. "It was nice meeting you, Bessie. Stay safe!"

Percy pats her head. "Yeah... stay out of trouble."

"Mooooo!" Bessie lets out then swims away. She gives us when last look before swimming too far away for us to see her

"That was fun!" I cheer.

Percy laughs at me. "About as fun as the time I had to untangle my video game controller wires."

I smack his arm playfully, but I seemed to move in slow motion since we are underwater. "We did a good thing. Look how happy we made Bessie."

He looks after the sea-cow with a soft smile. Bessie has grown on him. "We might as well get back before the harpies find us breaking curfew."

Using his powers, Percy propels us towards air. It's amazing how fast he can force the currents to go. All the while we zoom up to the surface, Percy is smiling like he won the lottery. I'm sure he feels just as good about saving Bessie as I do.

I let out a gasp when we get to the surface. I let go of Percy's hand and tread in the water. Blackjack flies high above the lake. He neighs when he sees us wading in the water. When he flies by us, we grab his back and hoist ourselves on.

Now I am truly jealous of Percy. Here I am, soaking wet with my hair in my face while he's sitting back completely dry. It's not fair if you ask me! If I had a say in it, every demigod would have the ability to stay dry in the water, not just the children of Poseidon.

Percy nods to Blackjack. For the past few minutes they have had a conversation. "Yeah. We rescued a baby. Rina said it was Ophiotaurus. Do you know what that is?"

Blackjack says something that causes him to frown. "Well whatever Ophiotaurus is, she is nice. We almost got trampled for her." Percy glances down at me. "Are you cold?"

I examine myself. The water feels cold, but it doesn't seem to be affecting me. Any normal person would be shivering or possibly catching hypothermia. I, on the other hand, am just fine.

I shake my head. "Not at all." Can I? I wonder if I can. Well it doesn't hurt to try. I close my eyes and picture the water racing off of my like I can make dirt do. I feel it run down my arms and off of my clothes and body. When I open my eyes, I am perfectly dry.

"I... I didn't know Aphrodite's kids could do that," Percy exclaims with wide eyes.

"Most can't," I say bluntly.

Percy is about to ask something when he looks down. I follow his gaze to see Nico hiding behind a pillar on the dining pavilion. He's crouching behind it while peeking along the side.

"What do you think he is doing?" Percy asks. "Blackjack, set us down here behind the columns." He says to the Pegasus.

Blackjack swoops behind the columns and sets us on the ground. The second we are off his back, Blackjack swoops back into the air to fly with the clouds. He is nothing but a black spot against the even darker sky.

Percy and I creep to where Nico is. There are several voices. They sound like Bianca and Zoe. It is very clear that Nico is spying on his sister, not that I'm surprised. Ever since we found out Bianca is going on the quest, he has been a nervous wreck. He even spent an hour after curfew talking to Silena and me about how worried he is. We had to practically talk him down from a panic attack.

Percy opens his mouth and I immediately clamp my hand over it. His eyes go wide in surprise, but then he connects the dots. Nico is spying on the Hunters. Percy takes out a hat from his pocket and sets it on his head. One minute Percy is here, then the next second he's not. Since I don't have the luxury of turning invisible, I just crouch behind a bush.

"It cannot be cured before we leave for the quest," Zoe says in a hushed tone.

"How did it happen?" Bianca asks.

Zoe frowns. "A terrible prank. Those Stoll brothers from the Hermes cabin gave her a shirt laced in Centaur blood. Their blood is like acid. They were foolish enough to spray the inside of the shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

"Phoebe will live, but she will be bedridden for weeks. There is no possible way for her to join us."

"But the prophecy!" Bianca exclaims. "If she can't go then there are only four. We will have to pick someone else to join us."

"There is no time. We must leave at first light. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose one." Zoe says calmly.

"In the land without rain," Bianca mumbles to herself.

"Camp Halfblood might just be that. The magical barrier keeps out all unwanted weather. It could very possibly be the land without rain."

What Zoe's saying makes sense, but I'm not too sure. And based on her tone of voice, Zoe isn't too sure either. Interpreting a prophecy is about as difficult as reading someone's mind. You can make a guess, but you can never know for sure.

"But Zoe-"

"Bianca, you must listen to me. I can't... explain in but I have a feeling that we _shouldn't_ ask another camper to join us. It would be too dangerous and I feel it would give them a fate much worse than Phoebe's. I do not wish that upon anyone. I don't want Chiron to choose a fifth camper and I cannot risk another Hunter."

They stay silent for several seconds. "You should tell Thalia about the rest of your dream," Bianca starts. "If your suspicions about the General-"

"It would not help," Zoe interrupts. Her voice sounds incredibly strained, as if she's forcing herself to appear strong. "I have thy word to not speak of it. If it is true, we will find out soon enough. Now come, Dawn is breaking."

Both the girls start sprinting down the steps. Nico moves out of the way, but since Percy is invisible, I have no clue if he moved or not.

Zoe stops for several seconds, staring at the air beside her. She begins to grab her bow until Bianca yells something to her. Zoe shoots one last look around then joins Bianca's side.

Nico looks after the pair. He takes a deep breath and prepares to run. I jump out of the push at the same time Percy takes off his cap and becomes visible. "Wait!" We both rush out at the same time.

Nico almost tumbles down the steps in surprise. "Rina? Percy? Where did you two come from?" he asks with wide eyes.

I look towards the shrubbery. My abilities force the leaves from my hair. They drop to the ground one by one. "A bush. Percy was invisible."

"Invisible? Wow!" Nico exclaims. He stares at Percy, as if he expects him to turn invisible again at any second and he wants to be the one to see it.

I step towards him. "How did you know Zoe and Bianca would be here? Were you just outside the whole time?"

Nico blushes slightly. "No, I... ahh... heard them talking outside my cabin. I never can sleep very well here. Maybe it's the mattresses. I heard them whispering and footsteps, so I followed."

Percy blinks. "Please tell me you aren't thinking about going on the quest too."

Nico shuffles his feet on the steps nervously. After several seconds of silence, he nods.

"You can't go," I blurt out.

"Because I'm too young?" Nico asks defiantly.

"Because they won't let you," Percy answers. "They'll just catch you and bring you back. Also, because you're too young." I glare at Percy since I believe Nico and I are the same age, so he's telling me that I'm too young. "You remember the manticore? There will be tons more like that except more dangerous. Some of the heroes will die," Percy reasons.

Nico's shoulders sag in disappointment. "Maybe you're right, but you can go for me?"

"What?" Percy exclaims in surprise.

Nico looks up at the Son of Poseidon with hope in his eyes. "I would ask Rina, since she is good with a sword, but she can't turn invisible like you. You can go, Percy!"

"The Hunters don't like boys," I remind Nico. "Especially male heroes."

He shakes his head. "Don't let them find out. Help them while staying invisible! Keep an eye on my sister. Please, Percy. Please!"

The guilt on Percy's face is clear. "Nico..."

"You're planning to go anyways, right?"

Percy stays silent for several moments. "Yeah I am. I have to find Annabeth and I have to help them."

"We won't tell on you!" Nico looks at me with wide eyes and I nod in agreement. "But you have to keep my sister safe."

He wants to agree to it, I can see it in Percy's eyes, but we both know that could be too big of a promise. "I don't... listen Nico, that's a very huge thing to promise, especially on a trip like this. She has tons of people looking out for her like Zoe, Grover, and Thalia."

Nico narrows his eyes at the half-blood. "Promise me."

"I'll do my best. I can promise that."

"Well then get going! Good luck!" Nico says.

Percy starts to run but stops suddenly. "Tell Chiron…."

I wave a hand at him. "We'll figure something out. Don't worry. Go on."

He starts running down the steps when I realize that I have to tell him something. I run along side him with ease.

"Percy, I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to Bianca. You have to keep an extra eye on her."

Percy nods. "I can do that," he says in between deep breaths.

"Also, if you ever become un-invisible, can you tell Zoe I'm sorry for earlier. She knows what it will be about."

He nods again. "Sure." With that I stop and watch him go after the van. I can tell that this will be an interesting quest.

* * *

><p>Nico and I stand before the Centaur with straight faces. Mr. D glares at us while Chiron just looks downright suspicious.<p>

"You said Percy was doing what?" Chiron asks slowly. He shuffles a deck of cards as he analyzes our faces for any lies.

"Shining every fish in the lake until their scales glisten." I wrinkle my nose. "He showed me them; they're filthy."

Mr. D raises an eyebrow then turns to Chiron. "It's true. That's one of the many things the water nymphs find to complain about. Glad someone's doing it. I was considering sending the Stoll brothers down there as punishment for their little... experiment on Hunter but now I can have them wash the bathroom with their toothbrushes."

Chiron doesn't look convinced and ignores Mr. D like everyone wants to do. "When did he tell you that he will be back to camp?"

Nico shrugs. "I don't know. Not for a long time, though."

"Uhh huh," Chiron murmurs. He glances at both of us with narrowed eyes. "When you see him, tell him that he needs to sign some paperwork stating that he will stay year-round. We wouldn't want the cleaning harpies to accidentally eat him."

Nico and I share a glance at each other before nodding. "Don't worry, we'll tell him," Nico confirms.

"Well that's good, then," Chiron drawls. "Mr. D, I will be back. I'm just getting a different set of cards. I don't feel comfortable playing with a deck that has mustaches drawn on the gods' faces." I glance down at the deck in his hand to see Ares with a handlebar mustache. I let out a snort which only earns me a glare from the Centaur.

Chiron wheels himself out of the room. The god turns towards us with murderous glint in his eye.

Mr. D groans in irritation. "Stop with your childish shenanigans!"

I raise an eyebrow at the god. "Childish shenanigans?"

Dionysus narrows his eyes at me. "Yes, your 'childish shenanigans'. Obviously he went on the quest." Nico and I open our mouths to disagree, but the god holds up his hand to stop us. "Don't bother. You both are terrible liars and it is impossible to lie to a god." I'm just about to tell him about all the times that I lied to Hera about where Zeus is and she believed me, but I figure that now is not the time.

Nico shrugs. "Well even if he did go on the quest, which I'm not saying he did because he is in the lake shining the fish, but if he did, there's nothing anyone can do. Right?"

Mr. D scowls to himself. "Oh, there's something I can do. I really hate that kid," he grumbles under his breath. The air shifts and bends around his body. One moment he is sitting before me, the next there is only an open chair. I wonder what he's going to do. I'm sure he is just going to lecture Percy and bring him back... Right?


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you everyone for your support of this story. You have no idea how much it means to me. I hope you all continue to enjoy this story.  
><strong>

**So here's a little background of what happened with Aikarina's father.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of the Percy Jackson series. I only own Aikarina, Tyler, and Ava.**

* * *

><p><em>Athena points towards a paragraph in a book and reads it out loud to me. Her face is the definition calm as the words flow out of her mouth fluently. She doesn't stumble or stutter once. I rest my head on the table and sigh. I want to listen to her —I really do— but it's not my fault that whatever she is reading is so boring. It's much more interesting to listen to her voice instead of the actual words she's reading. If I am not focused enough, the words all mash together in a clump of silky unfamiliarness. If I do pay attention, there is a delayed response in my brain that translate the Greek to a language I know. That response is terribly annoying and takes out the beauty of the goddess's voice.<br>_

_A purple butterfly lands on the table. It moves its wings up and down slowly. I let out a giggle when it flies away to join the other butterflies by a patch of flowers.  
><em>

_Athena looks up from the book. "Rina, are you paying attention like you should be?" she asks, but she knows the answer. Athena always knows.  
><em>

_I smile at the goddess. "Yes, Athena."_

_She sighs and closes the book. "Don't lie. You cannot lie to me."_

_I resist groaning. "I'm sorry for lying. I wasn't paying attention. Can I go play with Apollo now?" I whine._

_Athena frowns. Her fingers drum on the table nervously. "Apollo is busy taking care of some things, plus we haven't finished today's reading. Afterwards you can play with him as much as you like."_

_"__But Athenaaaaaa," I complain.  
><em>

_Her eyes narrow. "Don't Athena me, young lady. Your education is very important. I would rather be torn apart piece by piece than see you become an uneducated oaf. Now, I would like you to read this poem by Solon. Who is he?"  
><em>

_I think long and hard about the poet. "Solon was a Greek poet who lived in... Athens?" I glance over at the goddess who nods in approval. "Wasn't he the first citizen of Athens to reference you."_

_Athena smiles fondly. "Yes, he was. He was a very kind and smart man who created wonderful poetry that more than Apollo can appreciate."_

_I glance down at the first poem. The writing looks like a jumbled up mess of lines. Suddenly the words take shape to one that I can understand. "Some wicked men are rich, some good are poor. We will not change their virtue for our store: Virtues a thing that none can take away, but money changes owners all the day."_

_The goddess takes the book from me and continues to read off poems to me. I once again lay my head down and try not to focus on the words too much._

_Footsteps approach us from the entrance of the garden. Whoever they are, they aren't making any effort to be quiet. Athena continues to read on. Maybe because she already knows who it is or she is so engrossed in the poem to not notice. I look up to see my father and Apollo walking towards us. They both have a sad expression on their face but I don't pay attention to it. This is the first time I have seen dad in weeks._

_"__Dad!" I shriek. Athena looks up, almost startled. Without hesitation, I rush towards him. The ends of Athena's mouth curves into a small, sweet smile._

_Dad spins me around in the air. "There's my Rina!" I giggle as he twirls me faster and faster. Suddenly he stops and pulls me into a hug. He smells like lilacs. Some would say that lilacs is a very unmanly smell, but if my dad smells like that, then it is the manliest smell on earth.  
><em>

_"__I missed you!" I exclaim. Dad sets me back on the ground._

_His smile falls slightly. "I missed you too, sweetie." He messes up my bright blonde hair which I fix in a matter of seconds._

_I place my two small hands on his face. I then pull on his cheeks to make him do funny expressions. "Why were you and Aphrodite gone for so long? Apollo said there was a trial or something."_

_Dad shoots a nasty look at the god but quickly turns back to me. "You shouldn't call your mother by her name," he scolds.  
><em>

_"__Why not?" I ask in a quiet voice._

_He raises an eyebrow. "__Because she is your mother. You should address her as such."_

_Even my child brain knew not to argue with dad on this matter. "Why were you and mother gone?" I repeat, more insistent this time.  
><em>

_Apollo frowns. "Tyler...", he warns._

_Dad kneels in front of me on the ground. "Listen, Rina. I... I'm going to be gone for a while." He swallows then puts on a brave face. One that I'm sure he has worn back when he would defeat monsters.  
><em>

_"__Again? But you just got back," I ask in disbelief._

_He looks like he's holding back tears. He looks so upset, but I don't know why. "I'm sorry, Rina."_

_Like a child does, I change emotions like a light switch. "__How long? Will you be back in time for my tea party? Apollo and Athena are coming too! And maybe Poseidon and Hera, but they aren't too sure. They're veeeery busy. But it's going to be so much fun." I bounce up and down in excitement._

_Dad smiles at my happiness. "I will be there, just not in the way you think."_

_I tilt my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_He shakes his head. "Don't worry about that. I just came to say goodbye."_

_A deep feeling of despair washes over me. I'm not sure how, but I feel as if this will be the last time I will ever see him. "Daddy..."_

_He places a large hand on my head. Each of his hands are bigger than my face. "You know who my father is, right?"_

_"__Lord Ares!" I say proudly. I remember the bedtime stories that he would tell me.  
><em>

_Dad nods slowly. "Because I am his son, I get angrier than most. I get more aggressive. I hate that part of me and I never wanted to give a piece of that anger to you. When you were born, I hoped that maybe your mother canceled out the small bit of your grandfather that I gave you." He gives Athena and Apollo a look. They both nod for him to go on. "That didn't happen. It actually amplified it."_

_I scrunch up my face. "What does 'amplified' mean?"_

_"__Amplified means to make bigger or stronger. To multiply something," Athena answers from her seat at the table.  
><em>

_"__You're going to get angry. You may want to hurt someone. Please don't let it control you like I let it control me for so long. It will be like a monster in a cage; don't let it out." Dad whispers. It's almost as if he's afraid for me. "Whatever happens, don't let the anger control you."_

_I have no idea why he is telling me this, but I nod to make him happy. "I promise."_

_Dad leans forward to kiss my forehead. "I love you, Rina."_

_"__I love you too, dad."_

_Athena steps forward with a solemn expression on her face. "Tyler, you must return to the throne room."_

_Dad stands reluctantly. Dad casts me one last look before exiting to the streets of Olympus.  
><em>

_Apollo kneels down in front of me, taking the place of my father. His smile is so bright that it might blind someone. "Hey, Rina? Has Athena been forcing you to listen to her boring books again?"_

_I let out a laugh that sounds like wind chimes. "She always does! Let's play hide and seek!"_

_Apollo brings his eyebrows together. "I don't know. That might not be the best idea right now with everything going on."_

_I look at the god with an innocent expression on my face. "What's going on ?"_

_He lets out a nervous laugh. "You know what, you hide and I'll count to ten."_

_"__Twenty!" I negotiate. I jab my finger into his chest.  
><em>

_ "__Fifteen!"_

_"__Seventeen!"_

_Apollo holds out his hand to shake. I immediately place my palm in his and shake our hands up and down. "Deal!" I squeal._

_He stands up to face an olive tree. "One... Two... Three...," he counts. "Better get running Rina. I'm already at five... Six..."  
><em>

_I let out a gasp before running from the garden. There is only a short amount of time to find a good hiding space. I dash down the street, pushing past minor gods and street vendors. There is one spot I have in mind: behind Demeter's throne in the throne room. It is covered with plants and vines so I can easily hide in the back of it. I'm sure she won't mind._

_"Ready or not, here I come!" I hear Apollo shout from the garden. He did not count all the way to seventeen._

_I run up a large set of stairs. Once I get to the top, it feels like I'm a deflated balloon. But I have to keep going. Apollo could be right behind me and I haven't even found a hiding space!_

_There is a loud rumble of thunder that shakes the stones of the building. I know I shouldn't sneak into the gods' meeting, but I'm too curious. After I see what this is about, I will take my place behind Demeter's throne and cover my ears so that I won't hear anything more.  
><em>

_I quickly glance behind me. Apollo isn't even close to finding me. He's probably still in the garden searching through the bushes. I remember some tips that Artemis and Hermes gave me about moving quietly. I crouch close to the floor and move slowly behind a column._

_I peek around the column. There I see seven of the twelve gods sitting on their thrones. They rarely all meet unless it is a solstice or time of war, which it hasn't been for many, many years. Aphrodite slumps in her throne with a depressed expression. She looks close to crying. My dad, however, looks calm and tranquil as he stands in front of the powerful beings. _

_"We have come to the conclusion that you, Son of Ares, are sentenced to death by the lethal poison Conium. Do you understand why?" Zeus glares down at my dad. He taps his finger impatiently on his throne. Zeus's bright blue eyes shine with unimaginable power.  
><em>

_My dad grits his teeth. "Yes. For an inappropriate relationship with the goddess Aphrodite."_

_Hera steps from her throne. She shrinks down from the size of a giant to normal height. In her hands is plain, golden cup with black liquid swirling inside of it. In the drink, there are several mashed up seeds and leaves. Tyler takes it with steady hands, but his face drains of color when he peers down at the contents of the cup._

_"It has taken many years to finally reach a decision, however, the only pre-planned punishment is the one that will take you out of the realm of the living. When you reach the Underworld, you will face immediate judgment. Your punishment will not stop at death, I can assure you that," Zeus booms across the room._

_My dad opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it. He looks up to the god. "I want to ask for one thing."_

_Zeus looks at my dad in surprise. "You are in no position to ask for favors."_

_"Just humor a dying man. All I ask is for you to leave my Aikarina alone. I don't want her punished for something that isn't her fault."_

_Poseidon looks over to his brother. He is the most compassionate of the two. "That does seem fair. He has served the gods well so he should be rewarded for his loyalty. I also agree that his daughter shouldn't be punished just because she is alive."_

_Zeus frowns. "That loyalty vanished the day he laid his eyes on a goddess and acted on his lust."_

_Poseidon glares at the god. "Brother, he has served Olympus for many years. Several times he has saved Camp Halfblood, where many of the other gods' children live, and has saved Olympus itself from the threat of corruption. I believe that despite his... wrong doings, he deserves a small reward for his service."_

_Zeus thinks for several moments then turns to my dad. "I can promise that she will not be touched for exactly five years. Then this situation will be reconsidered."_

_Dad shakes his head. "You won't touch her, ever!" he growls, unafraid of the god's power, or so it seems._

_The room fills with static electricity. Zeus's eyes flash with godly power. "Remember who you are speaking to. Would you rather I force her drink the poison with you?"_

_Dad opens his mouth to argue further, but Athena interrupts him. "Do you not care for your daughter? The more you speak the more you doom her!" she hisses. Athena must've gotten through to him because he only silently glares at Zeus._

_"Drink the poison," Zeus commands.  
><em>

_Dad brings the goblet to his lips but hesitates. His face is full of complete despair. In an act of desperation, he turns to Athena. "Please tell Rina that I didn't want to leave her."_

_Athena nods in agreement. She places a hand over her mouth to keep a sob from coming out. In a fraction of a second, she fixes her expression back to a cold, marble-like one.  
><em>

_Dad gulps down the liquid in the cup quickly. He winces at the taste. For a second, nothing happens. Then he lets out a loud gasp that echoes throughout the room._

_I instantly look away and cover my ears but I can still hear his cries. A small son escapes my mouth, tears stream down my face. Even though I'm young, I understand what is happening. He lets out another gasp. I can't listen to him. I can't... I can't..._

I jolt up in my bed, hot tears streaming down my face. After all these years, the infamous nightmare has come back. Several weeks after my dad died, I relived that day each time I went to sleep. I hope that this doesn't become a recurring thing like before. I don't know if I will be sane if I go through the same things I did the couple of weeks after his death.

Silena lets out a loud snore. I swear she can sleep through anything. Even if the cabin was falling around her, she would be fast asleep.

I look out the window. It's still the middle of the night. There is nothing to do but go back to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>THREE DAYS TILL WINTER SOLSTICE<strong>

I swing my sword around in my hand. Ava from the Ares cabin grunts when our swords collide. She lunges towards me, but I side step away and smack her sword. Ava pulls away and goes back into a defensive stance.

I see her raise her sword high. At the last second, I roll. Her sword whizzes inches from my ear. It's almost as if she intends to kill me.

I smack her hand with the side of my sword. Ava lets out a hiss but doesn't drop her weapon. She swings wide and I jump back. I see a weakness in her defense and instantly take it. I lunge forward and smack the sword out of her grip. It goes flying from her hand to the dirt. I lift my sword to her neck with a swift movement.

She glares at the blade, but her gaze softens when she looks up at me. Ava lets out a laugh that sounds more like a witch's cackle. "This is the third time you did that. I'm convinced; you're skilled with a sword." Ava blows her sweat and dirt filled brown curls out of her eyes. I bet I look the same way, but with purple hair.

I let my sword shrink back into a dagger so Ava is no longer at the mercy of my blade. "I had to knock you sword out of your hand three times for you to finally think that?"

Ava shrugs. "Hey, it's not my fault that the Daughters of Aphrodite aren't known for their sword fighting and the Children of Ares aren't known for losing a fight with grace."

I laugh with her. Ava is definitely one of the kinder Children of Ares. This morning I saw her practice on the dummies with her sword. We both sparred each other and we've found that we have a lot in common! Finally, there is someone else to talk to instead of Silena and Nico. Don't get me wrong, they're great! Just not exactly fun to only talk to them 24/7.

"Just wait till Clarisse comes back. I want to see who will win between you guys," she muses thoughtfully. Ava leans forward and cups her hands around her mouth for dramatic effect. "Don't tell anyone but I think you will win." She places her hand over her mouth and looks at me with wide eyes.

"Don't let your siblings hear you say that," I warn.

Ava cracks a smile. "They're all whiny babies over there. They can't deal with losing a fight, or even someone saying they will lose a fight. They all need to learn to grow some balls and just accept defeat."

I raise an eyebrow. "Like you can? The first time I won, you tried to punch me in the jaw!"

Ava smirks. "Hey, like I said, the Children of Ares aren't known for losing with grace, and I missed. Don't complain."

I rub my shoulder. "Yeah you missed and got my shoulder. It still hurts."

Ava rolls her eyes. "Puh-lease. I have been stabbed before and that hurts more than that little tap. I'm sure you will survive." A little boy the looks a couple of years younger than me calls out for her. "I gotta go. I promised my little bro that I would teach him how to throw a spear. Nice meeting you, though!"

"Goodbye then." She waves at me while she walks towards the boy.

I look over at the Big House to see Nico looking very sad, more than I thought he would be. Without a moment of hesitation, I run over to him.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

Nico looks up at me in surprise. He didn't hear me coming. "Just worried. I had a nightmare last night."

I sit on the grass next to him. There is a thin layer of snow, but it doesn't bother me. Nico, however, is shivering. "I don't know what they're about, but they're just dreams. Percy will keep her safe." I say, but he doesn't respond. I stand up and hold out my hand to him. "Come on, you're going to freeze if you sit in the snow for much longer."

Nico grabs my hand. I lead him towards the Big House where I know there will be a fire.

"How are you not freezing? You're only wearing pants and a shirt!" Nico exclaims. I look at myself. Compared to some people at Camp Halfblood, I am under-dressed. Scratch that. Compared to everyone.

I shrug. "The cold doesn't really bother me."

Nico's eyes grow wide as a thought jumps into his mind. "Is that a power that Children of Aphrodite have? Not being cold?"

I laugh at his response. "No! Just me."

He looks at me with confusion. "Why do you these abilities while your siblings don't? I don't see them transforming into different people and doing things."

I sigh. "It's a secret."

Nico scowls at me with a dark expression. "Well, aren't we friends?"

I blink in surprise. I never really had any friends other than the gods, and even then I am not completely sure, so it is an understatement to say I am surprised that Nico considers me his friend. I break into an uncontrollable smile. "Yeah, I guess we are. You're going to have to promise not to tell anyone, though, about the cold thing."

He groans. "Another 'swear on the river Styx' thing?"

"Yes, another 'swear on the river Styx'."

"I swear never to tell anyone-" He stops when Chiron trots up to us. Chiron crosses his arms in front of his sickly green reindeer sweater.

"Have either of you seen Percy? He still hasn't come in to complete the paperwork." Chiron stares at both of us with narrowed eyes.

Nico grabs my arm. "He has been busy with the fish, but we can get him right now if you want."

Chiron sighs. The bags under his eyes seem more pronounced. "Why don't you just tell me where he is and I will meet him. It would be much quicker this way."

Nico looks stuck. He opens his mouth for an excuse but quickly closes it when he doesn't see any. I decide to save the day. "Actually, it wouldn't. He has been... trying out a new hobby and would be very upset if anyone but Nico or I disturbed him."

Chiron pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "And what would that hobby be?"

I open my mouth to say something innocent like meditating or knitting, but Nico has another idea.

"Skinny dipping! He says that it makes him feel one with the water," Nico interjects. Chiron and I light up to a bright red.

"I... ahh..." Chiron starts. He brings his hand to his forehead. "Just send him to the Big House. And let him know that we will have a long discussion about having different, less scandalous hobbies."

As soon as Chiron is out of hearing range, Nico turns towards me with a mischievous look on his face. "Can you do it?"

I bring my eyebrows together in confusion. "Can I do what?"

"Can you become Percy?" He exclaims louder than necessary.

I hush him. Several other campers give us odd looks. "I guess, but I don't want to do this sort of thing again. It gives me the creeps every time I pretend to be someone I'm not." I shudder involuntarily.

"But you pretended to be Bianca."

"That was because that was different. I thought I had to otherwise your sister would go on the quest, but she went anyways."

Nico glares at the grass. "Doing this will help Bianca. They will force Percy to come back."

I want to say no, I really do, but I can't when he gives me the guilt treatment. Though I doubt that Chiron would force Percy to come back so suddenly, Nico thinks that if I pretend to be Percy that it will help his sister.

"Fine!" I mumble.

He looks up at me with hopeful eyes. "Thanks, Rina!"

* * *

><p>Nico glances around Percy's cabin in amazement. It is a mess. There is armor everywhere and even some candy wrappers that the Stoll brothers probably sold him in the corner there is a small fountain with drachmas on the bottom. He reaches down to grab one, but I hold him back.<p>

"I don't think Lord Poseidon would be too happy with you stealing from Percy," I state bluntly. Nico looks at the pool longingly before nodding in understandingly. He grabs a shirt, hat, and jeans that were Percy's.

I close my eyes and picture Percy's face as well as I can. The bones in my face move to match his facial features. I open my eyes and look down at my chest. I'm not nearly developed enough so I don't have to change my body too much. Thank the gods. I pull my hands above my head and stretch. My spine extends to about Percy's height. The only thing that is missing is his hair and clothes.

I place the hat on my head to cover the purple spot in my hair. I'm about to put on the clothes when I realize that Nico is staring at me. My cheeks turn a bright red. "Get out! I may look like Percy, but I can tell you that I'm very much a girl right now," I say with Percy's deep voice. The words sound weird coming out of my mouth, like they weren't mine to begin with.

Nico whispers a sorry before leaving the cabin, his face just as red as mine. I quickly change out of my clothes and slip on Percy's. Now I am the perfect replica of the halfblood.

When I walk outside, Nico's eyes grow wide. "You look just like him!"

I shrug. "That was what I was going for. I'm going to talk to Chiron. What's the plan?" I ask.

"The plan?"

"Yeah, what am I supposed to tell him?" I play with the bottom of my shirt nervously.

Nico thinks for several seconds. "Tell him... tell him that you're going home. Then you won't have to pretend to be Percy anymore."

I nod in approval. That does seem like it will work. I hope it does.

I walk into the Big House to see Chiron and Mr. D playing their usual game. Mr. D glares at me and I have a feeling he can see right through my façade. Chiron, however, seems completely oblivious to what is happening. Or maybe he is just pretending to be oblivious to humor Nico and me. Hopefully the first one.

Mr. D gestures to a chair. "Sit right there, Peter Johnson."

"Percy Jackson," I correct as I sit down.

Mr. D narrows his eyes. "I really don't care." He turns back to his game and places a bet. A satyr quivers in his seat across the table. Mr. D hands me some cards. "Know how to play Pinocle?"

I nod. This gets me an odd look from the god and the Centaur. I place my bet and the game continues.

"Percy, what are your plans? Will you stay here at camp or go home?" Chiron asks. He gazes at his cards intently then takes his turn. Mr. D curses under his breath but doesn't make any other sign of whether or not he is winning the game.

I clear my throat. Think like Percy. Act like Percy. Talk like Percy. "I'm going to head home to mom... mother... mama...," I trail off quietly. Smooth. Very smooth.

Chiron and Mr. D both squint at me strangely before going back to their game.

Chiron nods. "I see. Now Aikarina, why are you covering for Percy while he is on the quest without the camp's permission?"

My mouth falls open in shock, even though I shouldn't be. I wasn't acting very convincingly.

Mr. D glares at the satyr. "Go! Scram!" he commands. The poor boy jumps up and rushes out of the Big House, tears threatening to come from his eyes. Dionysus makes several tsk noises. "What were you thinking, lying to a god?" He wiggles a large finger at me.

I let out a sigh and I shrink back to my original body I was born with. My hair grows out to the purple color I have become used to. I take off my hat and set it on the table. It isn't until I shrink down into my original height that it becomes clear how much bigger Percy is than me. The clothes are incredibly baggy and I know I won't be able to walk to my cabin without the pants falling down.

"We already know that Percy has gone on the quest. You impersonating him was completely unnecessary," Chiron informs me.

My cheeks light up with whole thing was for nothing. "I'm sorry Chiron and Dionysus."

"Mr. D." He warns.

I glare at him. Here I am trying to apologize and he just tells me to call him Mr. D. I know I shouldn't give in, but the shard of me that is Ares refuses to back down on this inconsequential technicality. "I'm sorry Chiron and Dionysus," I repeat defiantly.

Mr. D's eyes spark a bright purple full of godly power. "That's the problem with you halfbloods, you have no respect! Like I have to tell that idiot boy constantly, names are a powerful thing. If you continue to address me with no respect, I will show you how cruel of a god I can be."

My lips form a straight line in distaste. "That's your name, isn't it? Why would you make people call you Mr. D when your name is Dionysus!" I yell.

The god stands up. Chiron moves to stop him to his best abilities. "Rina, Mr. D, this isn't anything worth fighting about." The centaur turns to me with a disappointed expression. "You know better than to purposefully anger a god."

I open my mouth to fight more, but then I remember the promise I made my father many years ago. I won't let the anger control me. I won't give into the fight. Instead, I suck up my pride and stare at the ground.

"I'm sorry Mr. D. I... don't know what came over me."

He sneers at me. "Yeah, yeah. Just get out of here before make vines grow in your stomach."

I quickly escape the Big House, and I'm sure if Chiron wasn't there, I would've been dead before I left the building. Nico jumps up from his spot. When he sees that I'm no longer Percy, he slumps with disappointment.

"They know that he's gone," I say though it is obvious.

"Are they making him return?"

I shake my head. "I don't think so. Don't worry, he can still protect your sister."

Nico smiles. "Good. I know he will."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you guys for supporting this story! I appreciate every single follow/review/favorite!.  
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><p>I wake up to a loud scream from the Hermes cabin. Almost like a harpy but it sounds so human like. It is so loud that even Silena wakes up. We share a look then grab our weapons without hesitation. Together we run to the cabin where everyone from camp is also running to with their weapons drawn.<p>

When we run inside, we don't see a monster killing someone like we expected. Instead we see Nico fast asleep and screaming his head off.

Travis and Conner look at us with a hopeless expression on his face.

"He just started screaming like this! He won't wake up!" Travis yells over Nico's screams. He covers his ears with his hands to try to drown out Nico's cries.

I kneel next to Nico and shake his shoulders. "Wake up! Nico!" I yell but he doesn't respond. Whatever he's dreaming about must be terrible.

Silena and several people from the Ares cabin yell at the same time to try to wake him up, but it's like Nico is forever stuck in his nightmare. His hands clutch the blankets tightly. So tight that his knuckles are pure white.

Ava walks over and looks at Nico thoughtfully.

"What are you doing?" I yell over the noise.

"Waking him up!" She responds.

Ava kneels down next to me with a small dagger. She takes his hand and cuts along his palm. Nico lets out a cry of pain He shoots up in the bed, smacking his head against the top bunk. He looks at his hand like it's melting before his eyes.

She smirks at her victory and holds up the dagger so everyone can see. "Laced with a poison that causes a lot of pain. Fries your nerve-endings." Ava gives Nico a small vial filled with a blue liquid. "Here's the antidote. Might want to drink it fast because the poison will reach your heart in about a ten minutes. Then you'll really be in pain."

Nico doesn't think twice when he drinks the liquid. Immediately when he swallows the antidote, he lets out a sigh of relief. He looks around the cabin in confusion. "Why is everyone in our cabin?" His voice comes out hoarse from his screams. Nico places a hand on his throat and grimaces.

Charles looks down at him in surprise. "You don't remember?" He asks in a deep voice. "You woke up everyone when you were having a nightmare."

Nico flushes in embarrassment. Silena gives him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Nobody blames you. Everyone has a bad dream everyone once in a while. You just gave us a scare because you weren't waking up." She tells him but that only makes Nico even more embarrassed.

Silena grabs Charles's hand. They both share a loving look. When I glance at them, I feel the soft glow of love in my heart. But it isn't my love; it's theirs. They both love each other so much that it burns like a raging fire.

It takes a lot of strength to tear my eyes off the couple. Being the Child of Aphrodite makes us all drawn to any sign of love. I place a hand on Nico's arm. "What was it about?" I ask.

"Bianca." He whispers fearfully. "I saw her die over and over again. It just kept replaying over and over..." He trails off. His hands shake slightly at the nightmare.

I bite my lip. "It's just a dream. Only a dream." I tell him but I think otherwise. Demigods have a reputation of having vivid dreams that sometimes happen, but I won't tell him that. He's already shaken up. There is no need to make him more worried. "I'm sure you're just worried about her so your mind came up with the worst case scenario."

Nico nods. He accepts that explanation. "You're probably right."

The rest of the people leave. Travis and Conner go back to sleep. From the look on Nico's face, I know that he will be awake for a long time because of the dream.

He frowns. "It seemed so real."

Silena shrugs. "A lot of the dreams halfbloods have feel real. Sometimes they dream about the past, present, or future. I know that I have had a couple of dreams about Percy when he was accused of stealing the master bolt. I also had some dreams about Clarisse bringing back the golden fleece and even one about the Princess Andromeda. It's pretty cool, you know?" Silena rambles. I send her a glare to show her that she is just making everything worse.

Nico's face turns bleach white.

Silena's eyes grow wide. "But that most likely isn't the case here. It doesn't happen very often so I'm sure that Bianca is just fine. Like Rina said, you're worried so your mind just created the worst case scenario."

Silena and I stay several more minutes calming Nico down before going back to our cabin. When we leave him, he looks exhausted and completely depressed. He believed us when he said the dream didn't happen, but that didn't stop him from being freaked out by it.

The minute I step on the grass, the cry of the harpies echoes throughout the camp, like every time that I leave my cabin. I think I spot them behind a tree but they don't move any closer. They just watch from a distance with small, beady eyes.

Silena opens the door to our cabin.

"Charles loves you, you know." I state nonchalantly as I step inside.

She blushes brightly. Even in the dark I can clearly see her bright red cheeks. "I know." She says. A secret smile creeps up on her lips.

"And I know that you love him too."

Silena smiles very big. So big that it covers most of her face. "Yeah... yeah I guess I do. That's the problem with our abilities. We know other people's feelings, but we can never be too sure about our own. Thank you, you're right. I love him!" She exclaims loudly to the camp. The harpies let out a loud screech in response, which sends us both into a fit of laughter.

Silena pats my shoulder. "Come on. Lights out. We don't want to fall asleep during archery practice."

For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a sister. This is one of the best feelings I have ever had and I hope that it never ends.

* * *

><p>TWO DAYS TILL WINTER SOLSTICE<p>

Throughout the whole day Nico has been down. It is clear to everyone. He barely ate any of his dinner, he finished his chores in twice the time it usually takes him, and he refused to go along with the Stoll brothers when they wanted to mess with some of the other campers. The whole time that he has been here, he has taken part in their pranks but no he is barely speaking to them. It's odd.

I swing my sword slowly towards him and he barely blocks it. Every time that I practice with him, I go easy. But today I am going easier than usual.

"It's just a dream." I remind him, knowing that the nightmare is what is bothering him.

He frowns and lunges towards me, I quickly side step him and knock his sword down. Nico doesn't bother to pick it up again. "But it felt so real and Silena said that sometimes halfbloods dream about stuff, and it comes true! Then Conner told me this story about how he had a dream that one of his friends died on this quest then a week later they were burning his burial shroud."

I frown. Someone will have to remind me to tell Conner off later. "_Sometimes_ is the key word. I think that you are just too worried about her. It's just a dream."

"I hope so." He grumbles. Nico is just about to pick up his sword when Silena and Ava run up to us with armor on and their swords ready. There is a special gleam in their eye that only an upcoming fight can give someone.

Ava collides into me with a big hug. "Rina! There were several hellhounds seen by the border. Silena, some of my siblings, and I are going to kill them. Want to come?" Ava asks. Her eyes flash with adrenaline at the thought of a fight, and I'm sure my eyes look exactly the same.

I smile and nod enthusiastically. Nico eyes grow wide. "Hellhounds?" He asks. "I have their card in the mythomagic game. What are they like in real life? Are they like the picture?" His words rush out at a million miles per hour. All thoughts about his nightmare disappear.

"Well they're huge and pure black. They're pretty much rabid dogs that like to munch on halfbloods for fun." Silena answers with a sly smile.

"Can I help?" Nico asks. Ava, Silena, and I share the same look.

"I don't know..." I start.

Nico face moves to a smile, one that I haven't seen in a while. "I can help you guys. I have been practicing with a sword and it would be good for me to get some experience fighting monsters."

"He does make some good points." Ava mutters. She doesn't look too pleased with the idea of having Nico along, but she doesn't say anything against it.

I nod. "You can come but don't get involved with fighting any of the hellhounds. You aren't good enough with a sword to fight one, okay?"

He smiles and picks up his sword. "Okay!"

Nico and I put on our armor. We then join the others to find the hellhounds that are terrorizing the camp. Several Children of Ares lead us past the border and into the surrounding woods. Sherman stares at the ground, unsure for what he is looking for. He points towards a direction. "I think we should start looking that way for the hellhounds."

I shake my head. "I don't think that will work."

Sherman scoffs at me. "Have a better idea, princess?" He sneers.

I glare at him. My hand unconsciously heads towards my sword, but I quickly stop myself. "Yeah, I do. I have some experience with tracking."

He raises an eyebrow. "That's great, honey, but we're trying to find the monsters today. Despite common belief, makeup is not a proper tool for finding monsters." He says sarcastically.

I narrow my eyes dangerously at him. "I don't know about you, but I traveled with the Hunters for a while, so I am far more qualified to find them than you." I look down in the mud where there is a large paw print. It's as big as my hand. Surrounding it are several more paw prints. There are at least three hellhounds.

Now, when I traveled with the Hunters, I was nowhere near as skilled as them. In fact, I was the worst of all of them. Constantly I would go off on the wrong trail or track a bear that ended up to be a deer the whole time. But over time I picked up several things, and even though I was the worst tracker of all the Hunters, I am better than Sherman. That I know for sure.

I glance up and see several broken sticks. The hellhounds are too big to travel around without messing things up. Normally they would shadow travel but for some reason they're just walking around camp, leaving a very obvious path. This should be easy, even for me.

I point in the opposite direction Sherman said to go. "We should go that way."

He crosses his arms over his chest. "If you want to go the wrong way, sure."

I consider punching the smirk right off his face. I quickly discard the idea because a broken nose is not going to make him go along with my plan. With one hand I gesture towards the broken twigs and the obvious trail. "Are you kidding me? Do you not see the trail that the hellhounds made? They're giant dogs! They're going to make a mess and this is the way that they went!" I point out.

Sherman grits his teeth. One of the hardest things for a Child of Ares to do is to swallow their pride. I empathize with him, I really do. There have been several moments where I had to take a step back and hold my tongue. Just because I get what he's going through doesn't mean that I don't dislike him any less.

He shakes his head. "Anyone who wants to go with me, follow me. Anyone who wants to go with Miss Hunter, follow her."

"We need to stay together." Silena says. She frowns at the several Children of Ares that are following their brother. "The hellhounds are here for a reason. They do not just appear by the border of camp for the sake of scaring several campers. They were sent here by someone. If we separate then it will just be easier for them to pick us off."

Sherman glares at Silena and me. "No, it will be easier for them to take out two Daughters of Aphrodite and an undetermined. C'mon Ava, let's go." He gestures Ava over to them.

She frowns at her brother. "I'm sticking with Rina. If she says she knows what she's doing, then she knows what she's doing." Ava places her hands on her hips defiantly.

"Ava..." Sherman starts but she interrupts him.

"Just suck up your pride already and get over here. Plus, even I can see the trail. I can't believe you are being so... arrogant." She sneers at him.

He scowls and throws her a packet of ambrosia. "Don't let them get you killed." That is all he says before he and the rest of the Ares cabin leave to go find the hellhounds their own way.

Silena kicks at a nearby stump. "I hate the Ares cabin. They all think they're sooo right all the time." Silena mutters. Ava raises an eyebrow at her. "No offense." Silena adds after several awkward seconds.

Ava shrugs. "None taken. Try living with them. But then again, I can be just like that too so I shouldn't be talking." Ava turns to me and salutes. "Lead the way ex-huntress." She holds her hands out in the direction I said we should go.

I smile. "I never was a Hunter but okay."

I guide them over logs and through bushes. The trail never seems to end but we keep going. We even follow the hellhound's trail over a road! It seems to me that the hounds are circling the camp and the others think the same thing.

Nico sucks in a deep breath. He bends over and places his hands on his knees.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

He nods but looks like he is about to pass out. "Just... not... in... as good... shape... as you guys." He wheezes. For the past half hour we have been practically sprinting through the woods. Nico doesn't have as much training as us so it would only make sense that he wouldn't be able to keep up.

Silena rubs his back to help him breathe. "By the time this summer is over, you will be able to run right alongside us. Don't worry."

I pass Nico my water, since his waterbottle is already empty. He drains almost half of it before returning it to me.

He cracks a smile. "Thanks. I was so thirsty."

A smile creeps up on my lips. "You're welcome. We can't have you dying of dehydration, can we?"

We are about to start tracing the path when we hear a deep growl.

Ava, Silena, and I immediately get into position. Nico raises his sword but is unsure what to do. We stand back to back and look around us. I see bright eyes between a bush. It was staring straight at Nico. Then they disappear behind several twigs.

Several twigs snap around us but we don't see anything. The hellhounds blend in with the shadows. I look over at Ava to see if she sees anything, but she just shrugs. Nico lets out a yell. I whip my head around just in time to see a hellhound lunge for my neck.

None of my training could prepare me for this moment. The fake hellhounds in Olympus looked nothing like this. This hellhound is twice as big and twice as nasty. And I thought the replicas of hellhounds that Ares set on me were bad.

I try to get out of the way but it's too big. It lands on my chest. It feels as if an elephant is sitting on me and I hear several cracks. There is a sharp pain the dulls out in my chest. I have several broken ribs which are going to take at least a day to fully heal. My sword flies out of my hand and into the grass besides me. I hold back its head to keep it from biting at me, but its jaw comes closer and closer. Some of its spit falls on my face but that is the last of my problems.

I hear Silena let out a grunt and the slash of a sword. Ava and Silena must be fighting the other two.

"Get off of her!" I hear Nico yell. He raises his sword above his head, and surprisingly, the hellhound does as it's told. It steps off of me but continues to try to reach my neck. I scoot away in the grass but it keeps coming closer. Nico raises his sword but the hellhound knocks him aside gently.

My hand hits something metallic in the grass. I look down to see my sword. The hellhound rushes towards me with a snapping jaw. At the last second I stab it in the side, making it dissolve into a pile of dust and ash.

Ava and Silena stab the hellhounds they were fighting, and instantly they dissolve into ash like the first one.

Ava lets out a chuckle. "That was a lot harder than I thought it would be."

Silena nods. "They kept moving. It wasn't right. These must be someone really important's hellhound because they were so well-trained."

Nico rubs his head from his fall. Sometime during the fight he lost half of his armor, including his helmet. "Why didn't it try to go after me? It just pushed me aside like I didn't matter."

Ava thinks for several moments then shakes her head. "No idea. But I wouldn't complain if I were you. It's a blessing in disguise that the hellhounds didn't think you were important enough to kill."

I let out a hiss of pain. My arm was injured during the fight and is seeping almost gold-like blood. It glitters in the afternoon sun like water.

Silena looks down at my arm. "Rina!" She gasps. I glance down to see it gushing blood. There is a long scratch mark where the hellhound attacked me. She kneels beside me and forces me to lie down. "You're losing so much blood! And it's not the right color! What if the hellhounds had poison on their claws?" She whispers. Silena rips a part of her shirt and wraps it around the wound. Ava reaches into the pouch and tries to give me a clump of ambrosia. Nico leans against a tree, looking very pale.

"I'm fine! I will be fine!"

Ava gapes at me. "Fine? Do you not see the large hole in your arm?" She shouts. "And you're poisoned! We need to get you to the Big House!"

I look down at my arm. It is almost completely healed. The only evidence of something happening is the dried blood on my arm. "What hole?" I ask with a secret grin.

Ava does a double take when she sees my arm. "But... but... you were just gushing blood! What..." She stutters.

Silena eyes grow wide. "It was huge!" She says. "You were losing way to much blood! You could've died! But now..."

Nico looks at me with wide, curious eyes. He is more amazed than anything while Ava and Silena are trying to make sense of what happened. They keep trying to come up with explanations but all they come up with is that it was a superficial cut and the all the blood was because it was so long. So while we were sitting here, the wound clogged and stopped the bleeding naturally. Their explanation for the glittery blood was that it only looked that way because of the sun.

I pop up from where I'm sitting. My chest aches slightly but I can already feel the bones mending themselves together. "Come on; let's go tell the others that we took care of the hellhounds."

We trace back our steps to where we started the search. There we find a very tired and angry group of campers stomping back to camp like little children. Their swords are still in their sheaths and look untouched. Their hair is messy and their armor is full of mud.

Sherman lets out a breathe of relief when he sees that Ava is okay. He runs over and messes up her hair. "What took you guys so long? I was just about to go after you myself!" He says to Ava. He glares at us but his gaze softens when he looks back at his sister.

She pushes him away roughly but there is a smile on her face. The Ares kids are terrible to others, but there is no denying that they are great siblings to each other. "We ran into the hellhounds and took them out. You're welcome." She says proudly.

"Nice job, Ava!" He gives her a high-five.

Ava rolls her eyes. "They helped me too."

Sherman scowls at us. Suddenly his face breaks into a smirk and he jabs Ava's side, making her laugh. "Nah, the only reason they found the hellhounds is because you're good luck!" The continue to chat but I'm not paying attention to them. I'm paying attention to Nico.

He gasps and clutches his chest. When he sees me watching, he straightens up and fakes a smile. I can see right through it. He's in pain, but why? I walk to his side and I see his knuckles are pure white from clenching them together.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

Nico nods, but even the slightest movement looks like it hurts. I glance at his hand to see it covered in blood. There is a large hole in the armor that can only be made by the claw of a hellhound. I don't know how I didn't notice it before.

"Nico? What happened?" I move his hand to see a large wound on his chest.

He grits his teeth. "I saw the hellhound come towards you and I jumped in the way. I didn't stop it though. It just kept going." He rushes out.

Nico starts to sway around from the loss of blood. I am just about to say we need to take him to camp when he passes out from the blood loss.

* * *

><p>I pace back and forth on the porch of the Big House. A small girl from the Apollo cabin is stitching him up right now. She kicked me out so she could work better. Apparently I was breathing down her neck and that she will end up stabbing me with a needle if I continue to do that.<p>

Never in my life have I been so worried for someone. One of my only friends at camp and I am responsible for almost killing them. If I wouldn't have turned around, then maybe I would've seen the hellhound before it got to Nico.

She steps outside with a smile on her face. The girl looks so much like Apollo, which only makes me miss home even more. She even has his perfect teeth and winning smiling.

"He's fine now. I just gave him some ambrosia and stitched him up." She tells me. I push past her and go into the medical area where Nico is sitting up on his bed and playing with some mythomagic cards. His face is full of color and there is a huge smile on his face. A huge improvement from the last time I saw him.

"I was so worried!" I gush out.

Nico smiles at me. "I was going to be fine. It's not too bad. Kayla said she had seen much worse."

"Kayla?"

He nods towards the door. "The girl from... I think Apollo's cabin."

I sit on the bed next to him, careful not to move around much in case it hurts him. "Yeah, the Children of Apollo are fantastic with medicine."

"It was impressive. She just did the stitches faster than my doctor did when I fell down the steps at Westover Hall."

I laugh to myself. If only he saw Apollo himself in action when it came to anything medical. I remember the first time that I fell from a tree and broke my arm. He completely fretted over me and had a sling appear out of thin air. Apollo nearly fainted in surprise when he saw my arm heal itself. He called me a 'medical miracle'.

I look down at the cards. "Are these those mythomagic cards?" I remember him saying something about it when he first came to camp, but I have never seen his cards.

Nico nods. "They are. I can teach you how to play if you want. It's a complicated game but you should be able to get it quickly."

I smile. "I would love that."

* * *

><p>ONE DAY TILL WINTER SOLSTICE<p>

Nico has been trying to teach me about mythomagic for hours now. I can't seem to get the hang of it because I would always say things like 'there is no way that Aphrodite would be able to beat Cerberus. He's a giant dog and she's just the Goddess of Love' and 'that fight can't possibly happen because he is in the Fields of Punishment for all eternity'.

Nico puts Zeus down on the table. I look at his attack points and find that he could take the entire game right there. I should just give up and proclaim Nico the winner.

I rest my chin in my hands to help me concentrate. I glance down at my cards and see nothing strong enough to defeat Zeus.

He raises an eyebrow. "Do you need help?"

I scowl at him. "No, I don't. I can do this turn without you telling me what I should do."

Nico raises his hands in defense. "Oookaay. But if I were you, I would put down my card of Ophiotaurus and the orb of fire." He says quietly, but loud enough for me to hear him.

Something clicks in my mind. I toss all my cards aside and only hold the card of Ophiotaurus. In the picture is the exact image of Bessie. I look on the bottom. _'Ophiotaurus cancels out all the opponent's god cards if combined with the Orb of Fire The opponent must remove all god cards in play. ***Ancient Greek myth states that if the entrails of Ophiotaurus are burnt, it will grant the burner the power to defeat the gods.***'_

"Bessie!" I scream in surprise. Nico looks up in shock but I don't give him an explanation. There isn't time. I run out of the medical wing as fast as I can. "Dionysus! Dionysus!" I scream as I run. I run to the main room in the Big House that Mr. D likes to hang out in. "Dionysus!" I gasp.

Suddenly I feel myself lifted up to the ceiling by only my ankle. I look up to see a dangerously thin vine holding me to the ceiling. Dionysus glares at me with bright, purple eyes. "What have a told you many, many times?" He growls. "You will only call me Mr. D, never by my name. Do you want to see how far you can go before I bury you in the strawberry patch?"

"Mr. D, I know what Artemis was hunting!" I rush out. Mr. D lowers me to the ground. When I am about a foot from the floor, he drops me. Luckily I have quick enough instincts to hold out my hands and keep myself from breaking my spine.

He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. "Well, what is it?"

"Bessie!"

His face falls slack. Mr. D blinks at me in confusion.

I shake my head wildly. "No, no, no! Not Bessie. Ophiotaurus!"

He opens his mouth to contradict me and then closes it. Mr. D gives it several moments of thought then nods in agreement. "That does make sense. Good work, Airatiti."

"It's Rina." I mumble. "Aren't you going to go tell the other gods?" I ask.

He shrugs. "It can wait." He walks over to the fridge and takes out a bottle of grape juice.

"It can't wait!" I protest. "If the entrails are burned then..." I pause when I see the start of an Iris message right behind Mr. D. The image becomes clearer and soon I can see Percy, Thalia, Zoe, and Grover. Their faces are flushed and their weapons are raised.

Mr. D looks over at the Iris message and scowls as if he is having the worst day. "Do you mind?" He asks then takes another sip from the bottle of juice. I'm sure it's a nice change from the Diet Coke.

Percy looks behind him with an almost terrified expression on his face. "Hello, we're about to die! Where's Chiron?" He says frantically. I step forward so that I can see them better. I wave at Percy who gives me a sad smile.

The god smirks at the idea. "About to die? That sounds very exciting." He muses.

I frown at Dionysus. "Mr. D, come on." I plead.

"I'm afraid Chiron is not around at the moment. Would you like me to send him a message?" Mr. D says with a slight smirk.

All the hope falls out of Percy's face. He turns back to his friends. "We're so dead."

Thalia tightens her grip on her spear. She puts on a brave face but I can see that she is scared of what is about to happen. "Then we will die fighting." She says. Her lips form a straight line.

Mr. D yawns and places the bottle of juice back in the fridge. "How noble of you, like every other hero I have met. So what's the problem?"

Percy turns back to the Iris message. "The monster Artemis was hunting was-"

"Ophiotaurus, I know. Aikaramalama told me all about your little... _Bessie_." He says in distaste. I stop myself from correcting him on what my name is. Now is not the time. Percy needs Mr. D's help.

Percy looks surprised but quickly recovers. "Well, she's right here and Luke and the General are all looking for her. We have no way to get her out of here because we are about to be killed by a French manticore and his soldiers!"

Mr. D reaches into the fridge and takes out a gallon of milk. He takes the lid off and smells the contents. He stands there for several moments, as if weighing a bunch of thoughts, then takes a small sip. "So that's it?" He says after several moments. Mr. D winces at the aftertaste of the milk, then pours it down the kitchen sink.

Percy looks angrier than I have ever seen him. "You don't even care! You'd rather watch us die!" He exclaims in disbelief.

"Mr. D, you have to do something!" I say. It is so frustrating that I can't just hop through the Iris message and help them.

"I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight." Dionysus says to himself.

I hear yelling through the message and I see Percy, Zoe, Grover, and Thalia get into defensive positions. In the background I swear that I see several mortals with guns but I could be wrong.

Mr. D looks at the message like it is his favorite program. "You could always ask for help. A nice 'please' can get you far."

Percy sighs. "Please, Mr. D. We need your help."

There is a moment when nothing happened. I am just about to beg Mr. D to help them when the Iris message turns to a tinge of light purple.

SNAP

Suddenly I see the soldiers surrounding the four acting weird like dancing with each other and speaking nonsense. The manticore gets engulfed by a bunch of vines. He wiggles around momentarily before falling still. He is there no more.

Mr. D closes the fridge with a thud. "Well, that was fun." He mutters with a frown but he does truly look like he enjoyed himself.

Percy stared at him through the Iris message with a horrified expression. "How did you... What... "

Mr. D grimaces at him. "You show such gratitude for the god that saved your lives. The mortals that the manticore was using will come out of it in time. Would be too much paperwork if I made their condition permanent." He sounds almost indifferent but I bet he was dying to do that someone. He glares at Thalia with an unusual amount of hatred. "I hope you learned your lesson. It isn't easy to resist power, is it? I'm sure deep down you were itching to get to Ophiotaurus."

Thalia blushes in embarrassment.

"Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"Gods be with you!" I say before the message ends.

Mr. D scoffs at me. "Don't be volunteering us for anything."

I let out an unattractive snort. "Wouldn't dream of it."

I stand in the middle of the room awkwardly. Mr. D raises an eyebrow. "What now?"

"What are you going to do about Ophiotaurus?"

He groans like it is so much work. "I'll contact Poseidon soon and tell him all about our special visitor. Don't you worry your small mind."

I smile, despite the insult. Bessie is going to be safe and so will the gods. Today is starting to be a good day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you all for following/favoriting/reviewing/and just reading my story! It makes me smile every time I see that someone has left a review or followed this story. So thank you for your support! :)**

**This chapter is longer than usual but I hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>"Rina!" I hear someone yell in my ear. I jolt up awake in my bed and grab my knife. My reflexes take over and one moment he is right by my ear and the next I am on top of him with a knife to his throat. The fact that someone sneaked up on me while I was sleeping terrifies me, even if I am in the safety of camp.<p>

Slowly but surely my eyes adjust to the darkness. "Rina?" He says cautiously. Nico looks at my knife with large, startled eyes. He looks like a deer in headlights.

I sigh and get off of him quickly. Hoping that it might make up my attack, I stick out my hand to help him up. "Sorry, just what were you thinking waking me up like that?" I nearly yell at him. My hands shake slightly at the thought of almost killing my friend but I quickly control it.

Nico tugs on his sweatshirt. "It's the Winter Solstice." Nico states, moving past the knife incident quickly. I nod. Silena lets out a slight snore, signaling that she is still asleep. Very impressive if you ask me.

"I know it is. I do have a calendar." I say sarcastically. Ava's sarcasm has been getting to me.

Nico keeps going as if he didn't hear the sarcasm in my voice. "I heard Mr. D talking to Chiron about it! He thinks that the gods are going to kill Thalia and Percy!" He exclaims. Nico looks at me with expecting eyes but I'm not sure what he wants me to do.

"Why would they do that? Oh..." The realization comes down on me. "The prophecy." I mutter too quietly for Nico to hear.

He grips my arm tightly. "You can't let them do that!"

I pry his hand off of my arm. My hair moves to a perfect French braid in several seconds. The bags under my eyes disappear like someone used an eraser. It doesn't distract him like I hoped it would. Nico is still holding my arm with an unwavering grip. "Nico... I don't have control over the gods." I tell him.

Nico looks down at the ground and shuffles his feet. Luckily for my arm, he lets go. "Yeah, but you know more about the gods than anyone here! Someone has to do something."

I sigh. "Why don't you go to Olympus? It's just on the top of the Empire State Building."

His cheeks turn red with embarrassment. "I would but Argus caught the Stoll brothers trying to sell me some gum. The whole Hermes cabin is on lock-down." He shudders at the memory of the man with dozens of eyes that scatter his body. "They're too strict about outside food here. I mean, who put a whole cabin on lock-down for a couple pieces of gum?"

"I don't know if I can go to Olympus." I say after several moments of silence.

"Why not?" He asks me with wide, innocent eyes. Even though we are the same age, Nico appears to act much younger and more immature than me. I'm sure that being around the gods, that are thousands of years old, rubbed off on me.

"They don't want me there. That's why I'm at Camp Halfblood. I doubt that they will listen to me."

Nico frowns at my cryptic statement but continues to pry for a proper answer. "Please! What if they kill Percy or Thalia? What about Bianca? What if they hurt her?"

"They won't hurt her; she's one of Artemis's Hunters." I try not to think back to the Iris message where I didn't see Bianca with the others. Maybe she was just out of sight but I know that is most likely not the case.

He clamps his hand back to my arm. "You can't know that for sure unless you go there yourself!"

I can't help but feeling that I'm signing away my soul to Hades. Who knows how the gods will react if I just show up at Olympus? What if they decide to kill me after all? But when I look at Nico, I see someone who is new to this world. He doesn't completely understand the unspoken rules and he hasn't yet seen the corruption that comes with the gods. I find my tongue turn to lead and I'm unable to do anything but nod.

I take out the black purse that Athena gave me as a gift and place several things necessary if I need to camp out someplace for several nights. The last thing I want is to be unprepared.

Finally I am able to speak again. "If I don't come back can you tell Chiron I said thanks for everything?"

Nico's face turns bleach white. "Why wouldn't you come back?"

I kiss him on the cheek, leaving him red and flustered. Despite the almost funeral-like atmosphere, I laugh at his reaction. "Zeus isn't particularly fond of me and might want to finally finish the job that he couldn't finish earlier. That or Athena will murder me for not completing my studies like she has told me to. Out of the two, I would prefer the wrath of Zeus any day." There is a loud rumble of thunder that only makes me roll my eyes at the ceiling of the cabin. So the gods are listening in to my conversations.

Nico must think I'm joking, or he's in denial, because he lets out a nervous laugh. "See you later." He mumbles.

"See you later."

I leave the cabin and straight towards the stables. The harpies let out a screech, which happens every time I step foot outside past curfew. Behind several bushes I see a ruffle of feathers, but I don't think they will be getting any closer.

I open the door and see several of the pegasi are gone. There is only one left, and it's Lefty. Great. Just great. Lefty is known for only being able to turn left after he ate a mysterious flower that appeared in his stall. Rumor has it that the gods did it just so they can see a particular Son of Aphrodite fumble around with the pegasus after he insulted Hestia's dress.

"Hey, Lefty. How would you like to take me to Olympus?" I whisper. The pegasus lets out a snort and nuzzles the side of my face. It may not be the brightest pegasus, but he's a sweetheart.

I hear the sound of air being released from a can of pop behind me. I spin around to see Dionysus leaning against the stable wall. He takes a drink of his coke and does his best to hide his disgust. He even goes as far as to make a 'mmm' sound to make it believable.

"Uhh… Diony-Mr. D! I'm just checking on the horses." I stumble out.

He raises an eyebrow. "At four in the morning? Tsk. Tsk. And here I was thinking that you weren't as stupid as the other mortals." Mr. D takes another drink from his pop. "Oh, don't give me that look. I'm not here to punish you for all eternity. No matter how much I want to." He mutters the last sentence under his breath, but I can still hear him loud and clear.

I narrow my eyes at the god. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. D lets out a loud groan of annoyance. "Many, many years ago, before you were born, there was a shortage of woman in the best city on the Mediterranean. Location was perfect. Very nice sea breeze and they had very nice streets. The problem was that all of the citizens were either halfbloods or men. Not quite my style, but I see that's how your mother rolls." He gives me a nasty look.

"What does this have to do with anything?" I snap back at him. I'm not close to Aphrodite but that doesn't mean I like him insulting her. Especially when that insult also sort of insults me at the same time.

He wiggles his finger at me. "You'll find out soon enough if you would shut that mouth. You see, it was a beautiful place. I loved it and I hated the fact that I couldn't enjoy a woman's presence in my beloved city." I wrinkle my nose at what he is implying but I don't interrupt. "I complained about this day in and out to the other gods, making it very clear that I wasn't happy with the current demographics. After some convincing, I got Hermes on to my side and several minor gods. But they aren't important. Your mother got fed up with our complaints and finally used some of her love magic. She made about five hundred women from surrounding villages fall in love with the city and live within its borders. One of the kindest things she has ever done." Mr. D looks up at the ceiling wistfully.

I bring my eyebrows together in confusion. "How can she do that?"

It's like I kicked him off his cloud and back to earth. His almost smile transform to a scowl as soon as the words leave my mouth. Mr. D gives me a look that screams duh. "Love magic is crazy stuff, kid. I'm pretty sure one time your mother had someone fall in love with this cardboard cut-out of this hockey player just for a couple laughs. That is not the point, though. She made the women come back to the city. I wasn't about to go after any halfbloods or men, so I greatly appreciate what she did. Aphrodite claimed I owed her a favor. Now she's calling it in."

"What's the favor?" I ask.

He looks almost pained. The grimace on his face is equivalent to one of someone having their kidney stolen. "To give you whatever you want. So, Aikaripa, what do you want?"

I glance between the horse and the god, trying to decide which one I should take my chances with. Lefty is a very reliable horse but if I want to turn right, then I'm screwed. Mr. D is unreliable but at least he can turn right. Very tough decision here.

"I want to go to Olympus."

He scoffs at me. "Thought as much. I'm sure that Nicky kid told you everything when he was eavesdropping. He's not as sneaky as he likes to believe."

_It's Nico._ "So, you're going to take me there." I state but it sounds more like a question.

Mr. D scoffs at me again. "What do you think I am, a miracle worker? There are ancient laws that keep me from doing that. Do you remember the no direct intervention?"

I grit my teeth. "But I'm not on a quest."

He rolls his eyes. "Still can't. But I'll tell you what. I guide you there like the kind, caring god I am." I keep myself from laughing at his last sentence.

I glance at the pegasus behind me. "So you're going to make Lefty be able to turn right?" The pegasus spins around in his stall in excitement, turning left of course.

"Why would I do that? Then his name wouldn't make any sense. No, you can get to Olympus by yourself, you just need a push in the right direction." Mr. D tosses the can of coke at the pegasus. It dissolves into a puff of smoke mid-air. Lefty lets out a grunt of disappointment. Poor guy must've been really looking forward to turning right again.

"You're making no sense." I comment.

Mr. D glares at me. "Close your eyes." I open my mouth to argue but the look he is terrifying enough to keep my tongue still, so I reluctantly do as I'm told. "Where do you want to go?"

"Olympus." I answer, unsure of where he is going with this.

I hear him tap his foot impatiently. "Now that doesn't sound like you really want it. Where do you want to go?"

"Olympus. I already told you that!" I say forcefully. I clench my fists together to keep myself in control of my anger. I'm beginning to think that he isn't going to help me and just wants me to look like an idiot.

"Where do you want to go, Aikarina? Where do you want to go?" He nearly yells at me.

My blood starts to boil with irritation. "I want to go to Olympus!" I yell at the god.

DING.

I open my eyes to see us standing in an elevator lined with red velvet. The door opens to the streets of Olympus. All is quiet, just like when I was forced to leave.

My eyes grow wide in surprise and all the frustration I felt seconds ago wash away. I stare up at the god. "Did you...?"

He shakes his head. "Nope, that was you."

"How?" I gasp.

Mr. D scowls at me. "I'm done doing favors. Figure it out yourself. Come on, the meeting is about to start and I don't want to be late because of some _little girl_."

We walk through the street of Olympus. Nothing has changed. The buildings are still there, looking untouched. The street vendors are still selling the same extravagant merchandise. Everything is as I remember it. The air even still smells faintly of lilacs. I take in a deep breath. _Lilacs_.

Mr. D purposefully walks with big strides so that I have to jog to keep up. Several times when I was slowing down, he would glare at me as if it's my fault. If he wasn't walking so fast, then maybe I would be able to keep up!

Outside of the throne room, Grover is sitting on a bench, looking incredibly nervous. He stands up abruptly when he sees us approaching. Grover takes a large bite out of an aluminum can.

"Mr. D? Rina?" He addresses us. The satyr's eyes grow wide when he sees me but he doesn't say anything else. He takes another bite out of the can.

Mr. D looks at both of us. "You are not to come in until you are told so, got it? If I catch either of you even trying to eavesdrop into our conversation, I will personally send you to an early grave."

We both nod. Mr. D goes inside. I hear voices so I know that the Winter Solstice meeting is beginning. Grover moves aside on the bench to give me room. We both sit in silence when suddenly the doors fly open. I take that as a sign that we can come in.

Zeus narrows his eyes at me when I enter but he doesn't say anything against it. A good sign. Ares mumbles something to himself while staring at me, only to get elbowed in the ribs by Aphrodite. Apollo and Artemis are smiling at me and the rest are close to glares. Even Athena is digging daggers into me; most likely upset by my lack of learning. Not a very welcoming sight but it will do.

I glance up at the ceiling full of constellations. There is a new constellation of a huntress shooting an arrow. It looks like Zoe. It's almost uncanny how much the Huntress in the sky looks like the Huntress I know in real life. I quickly look at Artemis. She nods solemnly. Tears threaten to come from her eyes but she quickly hides it. Artemis doesn't need to say anything for me to know that Zoe is dead.

I gaze up at the collection of stars. If Zoe was here, she would be honored to know that her goddess gave her a place in the heavens. I place a clawed hand over my heart and push out, hoping that it will grant her safe travel through the underworld. She was a good person. No, _is_ a good person. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be rewarded. I hope that one day we will meet again.

Bessie is in an orb of water, floating above a large fire. She lets out an occasional moo. Bessie also likes to stick her head out of the ball and swim in circles. Apollo laughs silently at her but no one else finds it as amusing as him.

"Approach." Zeus commands Grover and I. The static electricity in the room multiplies. The hair on Grover's head sticks up but I use my abilities to make sure that each strand of hair is in place.

I keep my head down in respect as I walk towards his throne. Grover goes as far to get down on his knees and stare at the tiles. I'm sure that Zeus would've been fine with him just bowing.

"Aikarina, I did not expect to see you in my throne room so soon." Zeus comments.

I don't dare look up at him, just in case he zaps me with a bolt of lightning and claims it was because I was showing disrespect. "I didn't expect you to allow me into your throne room, Lord Zeus." So much for being totally respectful.

The ends of Poseidon's mouth curve up in amusement. His brother, however, sets his lips in a thin line. Zeus doesn't look too happy. "Consider yourself fortunate. You have disrespected me and all of Olympus by setting foot here again."

"Brother, she doesn't mean any harm." Poseidon says calmly. His bright blue eyes twinkle in mischief as he looks down at me. "She's here for my son and your daughter." I glance up in surprise when I probably shouldn't. They're gods. They know everything. There is no point trying to hide anything from them. They always eventually know.

Zeus doesn't seem to agree, but doesn't want to get into another argument. "Grover, the satyr. Tell me about your travels." He demands. If I were Grover, I would've been upset that the god didn't at least say please, but the satyr is more than happy to tell Zeus all about the quest. He didn't leave a single detail out. The gods whispered among themselves when he mentioned Pan and the Gift of the Wild, but other than that they weren't too interested. Apollo takes out his ipod, Athena writes things down on an ancient scroll, Ares cleans his sword, etc.

The doors of the throne room swing open. I glance behind me to see Percy, Thalia, and a girl who I can only assume is Annabeth. No Zoe or Bianca.

"Welcome, heroes." Artemis says. She smiles at them but it doesn't reach her eyes. I can only imagine how upset she is over the loss of her lieutenant and fellow Hunters.

Bessie lets out a loud moo in agreement. She does a flip in her orb of water.

Grover turns around with bright eyes. "You guys made it!" He starts to run towards them but quickly stops when he realizes that he might disrespect the gods by turning his back to them.

Zeus glances down at both of as, as if we are nothing more than ants. "Go on."

Grover and I run over to them. I pull Percy into a large hug.

"Bianca..." He starts.

"I know." I say. Short and simple. I let go and give Thalia a hug. Though I don't like her very much, I am glad to see her alive. Then I turn towards Annabeth. "I'm Rina." I introduce myself.

She smiles. "My name's Annabeth."

Grover gives his hugs to all of them. He grips Percy's arm with an incredible amount of strength for a satyr. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them not to do it!" He exclaims.

I look at him in confusion. I was here the whole time and I have no clue what he's talking about. When Percy glances towards me for answers, I just shrug.

"Heroes." Artemis addresses us. We turn around and face the goddess. She shrinks down from ten feet to the size of a normal human being. She switched out her Hunter attire for a silver robe that resembles the moon. There seems to be an aura of light around her that reaches the ceiling. "The council has been informed on your brave deeds. They are aware of Mount Othrys rising in the east. They know about Atlas's attempt at freedom and the army Kronos has raised. We have voted to act." She says with a small smile.

She turns towards the gods elegantly. "At Lord Zeus's command, my brother Apollo and I will hunt down the most powerful monsters before they join the Titan's cause. Lady Athena will personally check on the state of the other Titans to make sure that they are secure in their present prisons. Lord Poseidon has permission to use the powers of the sea against the ship _Princess Andromeda_ and send it to the bottom of the ocean. And for you, my heroes. These halfbloods have done a great service. Who could deny that?"

There is a long silence before Apollo clears his throat. He winks at me before talking. "You know, I gotta say. These kids did okay. _Heroes win laurels-"_ He begins to recite. I'm just about to let out a groan of disapproval when Hermes cuts him off.

"Ahh yes, first class job. Who is in favor of not disintegrating them?" Several hands go open. Demeter and Aphrodite. Oh, so now Demeter chooses not to kill someone. I have to say, I'm surprised that she will let several heroes she doesn't know live while trying to sentence me to death. I would be lying if I said that didn't hurt.

I glare at Apollo who just shrugs. He hesitantly raises his hand.

Ares growls. "What a minute, here." He points towards Percy and Thalia. "These two are dangerous with the prophecy and all. I say while we have them here..."

Poseidon sends a shock wave of anger towards the God of War. "Ares, you will not blast my son to bits." He all but growls.

Zeus glowers at him. "Nor my daughter. She has done well."

Ares shifts his gaze to me. Athena and Apollo shift uncomfortably in their seat. "What about Aikarina? She's dangerous too. None of us have any idea what she is truly capable of."

"You will not harm her." Athena booms. The gods all fall silent. The power radiating from the goddess is incredibly intense that it is enough to keep Zeus from going against her.

Apollo shifts his gaze between the two gods, almost expecting a full-out fight. "I have to agree with Athena. If you dare touch a single, little, perfect strand of purple hair on Rina's head..."

Ares smirks. He is obviously enjoying the tension. "Or what? You'll kill me with your terrible haikus?"

Apollo opens his mouth for a comeback but Zeus holds up his hand, commanding silence. "Her fate is already sealed. She will remain as she is, unless you wish to hold another meeting only to come to another vote that will most likely end the same way? Now is not the time for this discussion."

Percy, Thalia, Grover, and Annabeth look at me curiously. Their eyes are asking all the questions they can't say. I'm sure that once we return to camp I will be answering a lot of questions.

There is another long moment of silence. Athena leans forwards in her chair. "Now, back to the matter at hand. I am very proud of my daughter as well, but there is a security risk with the other two." Her gaze lingers on Annabeth. I turn towards her and instantly see the family resemblance. The same grey eyes and hair.

Annabeth gapes at her. "Mother, how could you?"

I open my mouth in protest. "Athena, you can't possibly-"

She cuts me off with a stern expression. "I find it unfortunate that my father and uncle broke the oath not to have more children. A fact that I find ironic is that Hades is the only brother who kept their promise. As we all know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods," she pauses and gazes over the two. "... such as Thalia and Percy... are very dangerous to Olympus. As thick-headed and ignorant as he is, Ares has a point."

I look away from the goddess that has raised me. The fact that she is so ready to kill these two, one of them that I consider a friend, is just terrible to me.

"Hey! Who are you calling-" Ares starts to get out of his seat when a giant vine wraps around his waist to keep him down. Athena looks very unimpressed.

"Please Ares, save the fighting for another time." Dionysus says calmly.

Ares mumbles several Greek curses under his breath. With one hand he rips the vine off of his lap. "You're one to speak, you old drunk. Do you seriously want to protect these brats?" He jabs a finger towards them.

Mr. D looks down at Percy and Thalia in disdain. Though his face looks full of dislike, his eyes show a tremendous amount of worry. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you believe it is truly safest to destroy them."

"It's not!" I blurt out.

Athena looks at me with a weary expression. I glance over at Zeus to see him lighting up with energy. If I speak out of turn much more, I'm afraid that I might be burnt to a crisp. She tears her gaze off me and looks towards Dionysus. "I do not pass judgment. That is not my place. I merely point out the risk. The fate of these heroes will be for the council to decide."

Artemis leans forward in her throne. "I will not have them punished for their heroic actions. They will be rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do Olympus a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympic justice, I will have no part in it."

Apollo lets out a whistle of surprise. "Calm down, sis. Just lighten up a bit."

Artemis glares at the god. "Don't call me _sis_. I will reward them!"

"Well, perhaps." Zeus grumbles. He is no longer glaring at Percy and instead looks thoughtful. "But the monster must be destroyed. Do we all agree on that?" All the gods nod in agreement.

"Bessie?" I squeak out.

"You want to destroy Bessie?" Percy exclaims in fear.

Poseidon raises an eyebrow at his son. "You named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?" He asks in confusion.

"Well actually Rina and I did." I elbow him in the ribs to tell him to get to the point. "Dad, he's just a sea creature. A very nice one in fact. You cannot destroy him."

Poseidon shifts in his throne uncomfortably. He casts a weary glance to Bessie who is swimming frantically in _his_ orb of water. Turns out we got the gender wrong. "Percy, the monster's power is great. If the Titans or any of Olympus's enemies got a hold of it-"

"You can't." Percy interrupts. I shoot him a look with startled, wide eyes to try to tell him that he needs to stop interrupting the gods if he wants to get out of here alive. Percy looks up at Zeus, straight in the eyes. The static electricity in the room seems to multiply. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Right? Besides, Bessie... I mean Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something that is innocent is just plain wrong. It's just as wrong as... Kronos eating his children because of something they might do!"

For a moment I thought that Zeus was about to throw Percy off of Olympus for talking to the gods that way, but then his sour expression changes to a considerate one. His sharp eyes focus on his daughter, Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos is well aware that if any one of you were to sacrifice the creature's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. How could we possibly allow that risk to remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen tomorrow. Just as the prophecy says."

"You have to trust them." Annabeth says loud and clear. Her voice bounces off of the pillars with the same intensity of the gods'. "Lord Zeus, you just have to trust them."

Zeus scowls and I know immediately what he's thinking. "Trust them? Trust a hero?"

"Annabeth, Daughter of Athena, is right." Artemis speaks up. "This is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion," her voice cracks slightly but she quickly covers it up, "Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I am in need of another lieutenant. But first, Lord Zeus, may I talk to you privately."

She moves from her throne and to Zeus's. They speak in hushed tones. Percy looks like he's going to puke all over the linoleum floor while everyone else looks incredibly curious in what Artemis has in mind.

Artemis turns to face us. "I will have a new lieutenant, if she accepts. Thalia, Daughter of Zeus, will you join the Hunt?"

Thalia raises her chin proudly. "I will." She announces without hesitation.

Zeus rises from his throne. "Daughter, consider well."

Thalia shakes her head. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow, or ever. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I will stand with my sister Artemis and Kronos will never tempt me again."

Artemis approaches Thalia with such grace only a goddess can hold. Thalia kneels before her. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

Thalia stands up with a smile on her face. Almost immediately it seems like she's glowing. Artemis gives her a small smile. Thalia turns around and engulfs Percy in a huge hug. He stands still, stunned, for several moments then he wraps his arms around her back. When she releases him, Percy still looks incredibly shocked.

"Aren't you not supposed to hug boys anymore?" Percy asks with a blush on his face.

Thalia rolls her eyes. "I am honoring a friend. I have to join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since... since Halfblood Hill. I feel like I have a home. You're a hero. You will be the one in the prophecy."

"That's great." Percy mutters to himself.

Thalia smirks at him. "I'm proud to be your friend."

Thalia hugs Annabeth and Grover. Both of them looking like they're going to cry. She then reluctantly gives me a hug.

"They're going to love you there." I say quietly.

I can't see her face but I'm sure she's smiling. "Really?"

"Yeah. You're going to be a great lieutenant."

Thalia pulls away. "Thank you, Rina." She gives us one last smile before joining Artemis's side.

"Now, for Ophiotaurus." Artemis says. The gods' faces turn stern like hard marble.

Dionysus looks at Percy with narrowed eyes. "The boy is still dangerous. Ophiotaurus is a temptation of great power. Even if we spare the boy-"

"No." Percy interrupts. Dionysus raises an eyebrow at his outburst. "Please, just keep Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere or some aquarium here in Olympus. You just have to protect him."

Hephaestus stokes his beard. Several sparks fly off in the process. "Why should you trust you?"

Percy shrugs. "I'm only fourteen. If the prophecy is about me, then there is still two more years."

Athena frowns. "Two more years for Kronos to deceive you. Much can change in two years."

"Mother!" Annabeth yells in disbelief.

"I can keep tabs on him." I let out. The gods are stunned to silence. "I know not all of you like me very much, but you can trust me. I have proven that many, many times. If I think that he is the tiniest bit swayed by Kronos, I can alert you all right away."

Several gods seem to approve of that idea, but it just made Athena look more worried. "Rina, that is a kind offer but that isn't the point. It is bad strategy to keep the beast and the boy alive."

Poseidon stands up from his throne. The amount of power washing off of his is stronger than hundreds of hurricanes combined. "I will not have the beast destroyed." He holds out his hand and his trident appears in a blue haze. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of Ophiotaurus."

Zeus stands up abruptly, his eyes fizzing with anger. "You won't take it under the sea! I will not allow you to have that bargaining chip!"

"Brother, please." Poseidon sighs in exasperation.

Zeus holds out his hand. In a flash of white light his lightning bolt appears. My hair starts to stick up out of my control and the room smells of ozone. It takes a lot of energy to put my hair back into place.

"Fine." Poseidon gives in. "There will be an aquarium here, in Olympus, for the creature. Hephaestus can help me build one. The creature will be safe and we all can protect it with our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch that with my honor."

Zeus thinks about this for several moments. He allows his lightning bolt to fizzle out of his hand. "All in favor."

A lot of hands go up. Athena, Ares, and Dionysus abstain, but everyone else likes the idea.

"We have a majority." Zeus states. "Since the heroes will not be destroyed, we will honor them. Let the celebration begin!"

The room fills with a slow, classical song played by the nine muses. I look around and see people dancing. Every single person hears a different kind of music so that no one has to sit through songs that they don't like. Unconsciously I find myself humming along to the song. I know every single note. It's the one that Aphrodite and my father would dance to during the festivals. It was composed by someone a long time ago. I wish I remembered who...

I turn to Percy. "You did awesome! I'm not sure anyone else would be able to do what you just did."

Percy is about to reply when I feel myself being lifted in the air. I let out a gasp of surprise. Apollo lets out a chuckle and spins me around. My hair whips around my head like I'm in the middle of a tornado.

"Rina!" He bellows out.

"Apollo!" I giggle. He sets me on the ground.

"Been forever." He says. His eyes light up with pent-up mischief. Apollo purposefully messes up my hair, only for me to fix it a couple of seconds later.

I roll my eyes. "Not forever, but it's been a while."

I turn around to see Grover, Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy looking at me oddly. I just smile and wave at them.

Apollo motions Percy over to us. "Percy, the man of the hour!" Apollo places an arm around my shoulder and gives me a side-hug. I feel like I'm being squished so hard into his side that eventually we will mold together.

Percy walks over to us with a hesitant expression on his face."Hey Lord Apollo."

Apollo gives Percy a dazzling smile that could make any woman fall on their knees. In fact, several do. "You did a really cool thing, saving your friend like that and freeing my sister. I just want to let you know that you can drive the sun chariot any time that you want. It's not much harder than driving a car."

Percy shakes his head wildly. "Considering the last time my mom let me drive the car I nearly ran into a lamppost, I probably shouldn't."

Apollo lets out a laugh. "Ah come on, Perseus. Rina has been up there tons of times and she is younger than you."

I give the god an odd look. "Every time you let me drive the chariot it has been an unnaturally warm summer."

He shrugs. "Didn't set anyone on fire, so I say that's a victory."

Apollo turns back to Percy who is just standing there awkwardly. "Well, what about archery lessons? I know you could use it." He insists.

Percy shakes his head again. "Thanks, but I'm really not good at it. Archery just isn't my thing."

"That's why you need some! Archery practice from the chariot. Doesn't get better than that." Apollo smiles and several women let out squeals. Athena tells me that every woman without any sense is infatuated with him, which is almost all of Olympus. But I can see the appeal. He's one of the major gods, has a car, great smile, and great with kids. I'm sure that whenever Apollo's back is turned, the woman are clawing each other's eyes out to see which one can talk to him first.

Percy looks like he wants to get away. Apollo can sometimes be a little... too much for people who don't know him like I do. "Hey, Percy. I think Annabeth just called for you." I say.

He looks at me in confusion. "What, I didn't..." Then it clicks. He gives me a smile that says 'thank you'. "Yeah, I think I heard it too. I should see if she needs anything."

Percy leaves us behind. He weaves through the crowd until he gets intercepted by his father. Apollo lets out an 'ooo' sound that children do in elementary school when their classmates get called to the principal's office.

Apollo suddenly gulps. "Been nice knowing you, Rina. I'm sorry it has to end this way. I'll tell Artemis and Aphrodite that you said goodbye." He backs away from me. Apollo somehow disappears into the crowd. I hear some yells from several women so I at least know the general area where Apollo is. In his place is a not very happy Athena. She gazes down at me with stone like eyes. The crowd parts away from us, as if we have a deadly disease.

"Aikarina." I flinch at the use of my full name. She never uses it unless I am in huge trouble.

I look up at the goddess cold, grey eyes. "I'm so sorry, Athena. I meant to finish my work but things have been crazy at camp. There have been hellhounds and Hunters and new demigods..."

She narrows her eyes, not believing my excuses. "I told you I would be watching. You had plenty of free time yesterday and the day before to catch up on your studies. Instead you were playing an odd card game with a boy. Who is he? Who is his parent?" See, the gods don't know _everything_.

I shuffle my feet on the floor. "He's just a friend and nobody knows."

Her face softens. "I will give you one last chance. If you do not work on your studies, I will personally come down to Camp Halfblood and force you to read your books that I generously gave you. Am I understood?"

"Yes Athena." I smile before engulfing her in a large hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." She murmurs. Athena pulls away. Her face falls into a frown. "Aphrodite wants to speak with you. She has been dying to talk to you ever since you arrived in Olympus."

The smile falls off my face. "Why?"

Athena pushes a strand of hair out of my face that somehow lost control. "Perhaps it has something to do with you releasing a pegasus from Camp Halfblood in her name or perhaps your prophecy. Or maybe it's because she is your mother and you are her daughter." Athena sees my sour expression. "She's trying to make up for all those years that she wasn't there for you. Many of your siblings don't get the luxury of even knowing her."

I glance up at the goddess in confusion, completing ignoring everything she said about Aphrodite trying to rekindle a mother-daughter bond that we never really had. "What do you mean? I didn't release the pegasus for her. Lord Poseidon asked me to."

Athena shakes her head. She almost looks sorry for me. "Your mother thought that if she asked you, then you would rebel. Which I believe she would be right. She convinced Poseidon to send a letter to you to help his son. Aphrodite has her own agenda, I'm afraid. One that involves pushing two people together. No matter how much they don't want to be." She stares at her daughter who is dancing with several minor gods. I see her eyes flicker towards Percy then to Aphrodite who is staring at us intensely.

I look at the floor. "I really don't want to talk to her."

Athena sighs. "Then don't. Believe it or not, but you do have some power here. You may not be powerful in the way the gods are, but you do have an influence in Olympus. More than you will ever know." She snaps her fingers and almost instantly a water nymph is tugging on my arm. Athena smiles. "Go on. Have fun. I will keep Aphrodite away from you tonight."

"Thank you, Athena. I love you!" The words just slip out like I have been saying them my whole life to her. I think it should feel odd, I'm not really sure, but it feels right. Like a little kid telling their mother that they love them. It only makes sense.

Athena smiles and she looks the happier than I have ever seen her. "I love you too, Rina."

Apollo pops out from behind Aphrodite with a cup of wine in his hand. "I love you too! Never forget that!" He points his finger towards me. It hasn't even been ten minutes and Apollo is drunk. Believe it or not but the gods can get drunk, and it's usually more disastrous than if a normal person had a little too much to drink.

I let out a laugh. "I love you took, Apollo."

* * *

><p>I avoid the accusing gaze of Aphrodite and instead focus on my drink. Wine straight from a vineyard in Italy. The gods have never been too happy about minors drinking alcohol so if anyone asks then I say that it is grape juice. It's not like I'm getting drunk or drinking irresponsibly, I just like quality wine. I'm sure that even Mr. D can respect that.<p>

I feel a dip in the couch. I look to my left to see Artemis sitting next to me. She looks at my cup skeptically. "Rina, I never thought you for one to go against our rules against alcohol." With a flick of the wrist she changes my wine to actual grape juice.

I frown. "I wasn't doing anything bad. I was just enjoying a nice glass of Italian wine. High quality stuff too."

She narrows her eyes. "Has Dionysus been talking to you about wine lately?"

I shake my head. "Actually it was Hestia that gave me my first sip of wine."

Artemis frowns disapprovingly. "You are far to young to have a single drop of wine. But I did not come over here to criticize your choice of beverages. I came to talk to you. We haven't spoken very much since you were hunting alongside me and my Hunters."

"It's been a long time since then." I state.

Artemis nods. "It has, indeed. We would very much enjoy your presence again in our camp. Perhaps we can make your stay more permanent this time."

"No." I say. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

She raises an eyebrow. "And why not?"

I shrug. "Well I don't think Lord Zeus would be very happy about me being immortal and I also have that future love prophecy. I would hate for 'the one' to come around, only for me to tell him to go away because I pledged eternal maidenhood."

The edges of the goddess's mouth curves into an amused smile. "You are very wise for your age. We are all proud of the woman you are becoming." She stands up and holds a hand out to me. "Come. There is an entire party out there and I will not have someone as brilliant as you sitting in a corner. I would like you to meet some people and I may need your help with my brother. Apollo has never been one for drinking alcohol in moderation."

* * *

><p>The rest of the night was filled with dancing and chatting. Artemis introduced me to several minor gods that I have never met before. We all had a great time. And when it was time to go, it was like the time when I had to leave Olympus. Apollo went into full sobs at me leaving again. I'm sure he was considering keeping me captive in his house just so that I won't leave him. Athena was close to tears but she didn't let a single one fall. Aphrodite didn't talk to me at all until I was ready to leave. When it was time, she was full of hysterics and muttering things like how much she loves me and stuff like that.<p>

Chiron hands me a cup of hot cocoa which I take happily. Annabeth, Percy, and Grover are all shivering from standing outside but I'm perfectly fine standing in the snow drift. The rush inside and let out a sigh of relief when they are in front of the fire.

"You're back!" Ava exclaims. "Chiron had a huge hissy fit when he realized that you went to Olympus."

I raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

Ava smirks. "Really. He stomped his little pony hooves and everything." Chiron frowns at her, hearing every single word, but Ava doesn't seem to care. It's like she's in her own little bubble. "Now, come on."

She tugs me over to a girl that has the same colored hair as her and similar features. She has a dazed expression on her face and her hair crooked. There are several cuts on her face that are slowly healing. Saying that she looks like a mess is an understatement.

"Rina, this is my sister Clarisse." Ava exclaims with such excitement that it is clear that they are close.

Clarisse smiles at her sister but has a neutral expression when she looks at me. "Ava tells me that you're talented with a sword. If she's right, then I could use your help. It takes a lot to take down a Child of Ares so you have to be good."

I stand up straight and proud. "Help with what?"

"The Labyrinth." She lets out so soft that I barely catch it.

Chiron places a hand on my shoulder. "We will catch you up later. Now we will rest." He sends a pointed look towards Clarisse who looks unfazed.

"Luke is alive. Annabeth is right." Percy says finally. The room falls dead silent. At the party I heard about how Luke fell off a cliff to his supposed doom. Very few of the gods actually believe that it would all be over.

Annabeth sits up in her chair, looking very interested in what Percy has to say. "How do you know?"

Percy sighs. "My dad, Poseidon, said that he is still alive. He said something about the _Princess Andromeda_."

I shift uncomfortably in my chair. "Well, if the final battle is when Percy turns sixteen, at least there are still two more years to do something about it."

Annabeth nods. "Yeah, there is still time to figure something out."

Chiron sits in his wheelchair by the fire. The shadows the firelight casts on his face makes him seem incredibly old and gloomy. "Two years can seem like a long time but it can go by in a blink of an eye. Percy, I still hope that you are not the child in the prophecy. But if you are, then the second Titan's war is almost upon us, and his first strike will be here."

Percy glances around the room. "Why would it be camp?"

"Because heroes are tools." I say somewhat bitterly.

Chiron nods in agreement. "If you destroy the tools, the gods will be crippled. There is no doubt in my mind that Luke's forces will come here. We must be ready. Clarisse's news may give us a clue to how they will attack-"

Nico comes dashing into the room. His face is red from running and he is out of breath. He smiles and looks around the room anxiously. His face falls slightly when he doesn't see Bianca. "Where's my sister?"

I glance over at Percy with wide eyes. He has to be the one to tell him.

Percy stands up. "Nico, let's go take a walk."

* * *

><p>We sit in silence when there is a loud cracking noise that sounds like the pavilion is being torn in half. I immediately grab my sword and run outside. Nico is stomping away while Percy is looking at the ground with a shocked expression. In the middle of the dining pavilion is a large crack that looks like a giant tore apart the ground with his bare hands.<p>

"Percy! What happened?" I ask.

Percy snaps out of his trance. "He didn't take the news very well. These... skeletons were attacking us and he just sent them away somehow." I gasp. This confirms it for me if Percy is telling the truth. Nico is the son of Hades.

I look around us frantically. "Where is he?"

"I don't know, he just ran off."

I narrow my eyes at him. "And you just let him leave?" I push past him and run into the woods.

"Rina!" Percy runs after me but I quickly lose him since I am a much faster runner than him.

I take out the light Apollo gave me and turn it on. The dark forest is as bright as it would be in the middle of the day. I run past trees, through swamps, and through thorn bushes. I look like a mess but I have to help my friend. Mud is caked in my skin and probably my hair. There is dried blood on my arms and legs but the scratches have healed a long time ago. my shirt has tears in it that I'm sure weren't there before.

I stop to take a break when I see something crouched by a tree. I raise the light so that I can get a better look. It's Nico. He's pushed up against the tree. His eyes are red from crying and he has scratches on his arms from running through the woods.

"Nico." I breathe out in relief. I rush up to him. "Are you okay?"

Nico shakes his head. "Bianca is dead. Percy let her die!"

"No, he didn't-"

"Percy let her die! I hate him." He spits out. Nico starts to stand up but I keep him down with two steady hands.

"Where are you going?" I ask quietly.

He shrugs. "I can't stay here. I just can't. Not when he's here."

I nod in understanding. If I were him, I would be running as far from Percy as possible. I reach into my purse for a piece of paper and a pen. With slight hesitation, I write down the address to the entrance of the Underworld. I hand it to him.

"Go there. They will help you, probably." I tell him.

"What is this?" He asks. Nico takes the paper between his fingers. He stares at the address with wide eyes.

"The entrance to the Underworld. When you get there ask for Lord Hades. Don't talk to anyone else but Charon and Lord Hades. Promise me." I demand.

Nico looks at me with wide eyes. "I promise but why?"

I sigh. "I can't tell you why because it will just make everything more dangerous for you. If you knew why, then the monsters would find you easier. When you get there Lord Hades will explain it all to you, probably. I'm sorry, but this is the only place I can think of where you can be completely safe." I mutter, knowing that I could just be dooming him for a terrible life. Few people go to the Underworld on purpose and even fewer leave.

Nico nods. "Okay." He says bluntly.

I reach for my sword and shrink it down to a knife. I place it in his hands. "Take this. It should be perfectly balanced."

He stares at the knife, shocked, as if I just handed him the Holy Grail. "Rina, I can't."

I shake my head. "You need it more than I do. You will be out there with monsters while the only thing I will be doing is staying at camp. Touch the gem on the hilt to make the blade longer or shorter." I dig into my purse and hand him several stacks of drachmas. "Iris message me at least once a week. If you skip one, I will personally go to the Underworld to make sure you're safe."

Nico takes the coins and puts them in his sweatshirt pocket. "I will."

I lean in for a hug. "Stay safe."

He starts to stand up but then turns to me with weary eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because we're friends." I say without a single moment of hesitation. "Friends help each other."

Nico smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. "You are a good friend." He turns around and runs out of the woods.

That is the last time I saw him for a long time...


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed this story! I really appreciate your support! It makes me want to continue writing the story. I also have some French in this update. I'm not a native French speaker and just put it in Google translate. If I got it wrong, please tell me! Translation at the bottom.**

* * *

><p>~~~JUNE~~~<p>

I turn the page of my ancient Greek literature book roughly, tearing the corners slightly. Stupid Athena making me read borning things. If only she had assigned me something fun like the history of weapons past wars. That I would enjoy learning about. But instead, here I am, studying the language of love: French. It comes to me naturally since my mother is the Goddess of Love, but that doesn't make it any more fun to read. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely language, but it just doesn't interest me the slightest bit. Plus, it's pointless to force me to study the language since it's already hard-wired into my brain.

"Je préfère manier une épée que les mots." I mutter bitterly to myself. I can almost imaging Athena telling me that knowledge is just as important as any weapon. Then she would most likely go into a whole rant about how wisdom is knowing when to put down a blade and open your mouth.

I hear a cough but I don't look up. I know who it is and I don't want to talk to him right now.

"J'étais inquiet. Vous êtes en retard" I snap but the meaning of the words are lost to him.

"I have no clue what you just said. I don't speak French." Nico says.

I slam my book closed. Of course he wouldn't. All the times that I begged him to suffer right along side me as I studied, he would claim that he's busy and cut the Iris message before I could even say goodbye. I glare at him. He looks so much older than when I last saw him in person. His hair is longer, there are bags under his eyes, and he looks thinner. "Of course you wouldn't, and you never will." I tell him.

His eyebrows come together. "You're mad. Why are you mad?"

I scowl at him. It takes a lot of will power not to yell at him. "Do you know how worried I have been? I haven't heard anything from you in _two_ weeks. I thought that you were eaten by a monster or something."

"Sorry. I'm running low on drachmas and I need to save up just in case something happens." Nico answers. He looks genuinely sorry. My harsh exterior softens. Maybe I'm being to hard on him.

I tilt my head. "But isn't Hades the God of Wealth?"

Nico snorts. That's the closest to a laugh that I've heard from him in months. He holds up a pouch that holds his drachmas. There's only three left. "Yes he is. But as long as Persephone has something to say about it, I only get five drachmas a month and she still claims that he spoils me."

Ever since he left in the winter, we have kept in touch. I sent him in the direction of the Underworld so that he would be safe. Hades accepted him as his son, kind of. From what Nico tells me, he isn't the best father. Even by the gods' standards. Sometimes I regret ever telling him to go to the Underworld. It seems to just add more grief on top of him and Nico doesn't need that after Bianca's death.

Nico shuffles uncomfortably in the dirt. In the background I can see the River Styx. It looks filthier than usual. "So," he starts, "am I forgiven?"

As much as I want to stay mad at him for leaving me to assume the worst, I just can't. There's no way that I can stay mad at him. I casually open up another book that Athena wants me to read. "I forgive you. But if you think for a minute that I'm not still mad, then you are sorely mistaken, Nico di Angelo."

Nico nods. That seems good enough for him.

I glance up at him. "How are you doing?" My voice softens noticeably.

Nico shrugs. "Same as always." He mumbles bitterly. "Anything new about the labyrinth?" Nico changes the subject quickly.

I shake my head. "No. Clarisse and I are going to go back out and try to find the first entrance again."

Nico frowns. "You're not thinking about going in again, are you?" His dark eyes bore into mine.

I shudder slightly from the horrible memories. I hope that Nico doesn't notice. Unfortunately he does. "I'm not going in there again. Even if I wanted to, I know that Clarisse wouldn't let me." I tell him.

"Just be careful." He warns. I consider scoffing at him, but he has a point. During the spring Clarisse and I nearly got killed when we explored part of the Labyrinth. I didn't tell Nico all the details, but I think he has the general idea how bad it is down there. I had nightmares for a week afterwards and I know for a fact that Clarisse still has night terrors from the maze. Of course, she does a good job hiding them from everyone. I didn't even notice until she asked to borrow some concealer for the bags under her eyes.

I smile at the demigod. "I always am."

There is a pound on the door of the cabin. I see Nico raise his hand to get rid of the Iris message, but he hesitates. It just depends entirely on who is coming it. Ava pushes open the door with such intensity that I'm sure she busted a hole in the wall. Then she struts in like she is Aphrodite herself. She waves at Nico through the Iris message. Nico puts down his hand. Ava is the only person that knows that Nico and I have been talking. She knows that he's in the Underworld but she doesn't know who his father is. Ava is not really the question-asking type so she doesn't get too curious about what Nico is doing.

Ava turns to me. "Clarisse and Annabeth are looking for you." She says. Ava plops down on my bed next to me. She grabs several books, looks at the titles, frowns, then throws them towards the headboard on the bed. "How's it going, Nico Chico?" She asks with a chipper voice. Ava places her chin under her hands. With her pig tails and red, puffy cheeks, she looks more like a toddler than a teenager.

"Same as always, Ava." I give him a pointed look. Nico laughs but covers it up with a cough. "I mean _Avalanche_."

Ava scowls at him. She jabs a calloused finger at the demigod. "How dare you mention that. I thought we were friends."

Last winter Ava went on a quest a couple of weeks after Artemis returned to Olympus for the Solstice. Charles, Ava, and Kayla had to recover the statues of the Teumessian Fox and the dog Laelaps after they fell out the improperly closed trunk of Apollo's sun chariot after he had an accident with some very angry harpies. Apparently they do not like to be run over by blazing hot vehicles. Anyways, the statues were somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. They had just recovered the statues when Ava managed to cause an avalanche. They spent hours sifting through the snow to find them again. Now people call her Avalanche as a joke.

"You have to admit that it's a fun nickname." Nico says.

I nod. "It just comes roll of the tongue naturally."

She smacks my arm. "This is your fault. If you didn't tell him about what happened then he would never have brought it up, thus reminding me of my past mistakes." Ava scoots over so that she has most of the bed. It's a miracle that I'm not already on the floor. I shove her off the bed with one push and reclaim the territory. She sits up on the floor with a scowl on her face. "Wow, someone's crabby." she mutters.

I close my books and place them in my purse. I then lean back to get several of the books that Ava threw. "I'm not crabby; you were just hogging the bed."

She smiles softly. "Oh, Bean. You're so small that there would've been plenty of room." I frown at her nickname for me. Apparently I'm as 'small as a bean' so Ava has been calling me Bean ever since the spring. It must be payback for me always calling her Avalanche.

I ignore her and face Nico again. "Are you coming back to camp this summer?"

Nico looks down at his hands. "I don't know. Maybe I'll visit but I'm not sure." He holds up my knife that I loaned him during the winter when he went away from camp. "I still have to give this back."

I smile. "I've missed you. I hope you visit camp sometime." Ava starts tapping an imaginary watch on her wrist. She taps her foot impatiently on the floor. "I have to go. See ya next week."

"Bye." He reaches up and slashes his hand through the message, cutting the connection.

She stands up and leans against the wall. Ava is about to say something but frowns. With a swift movement, she rips off a poster of a boy band off of the wall. She lets out a relieved sigh. "Much better. They're by the archery field, getting ready for the hearing."

I perk up. "Grover's hearing?"

Ava rolls her eyes. "That's the only hearing that's going on, so yeah."

"Bye Ava!" I yell as I run out of the cabin. By the time she responds, I am too far away. I run down the path at top speeds. There is no way that I'm going to be late for this. Grover has told the Council all about his experiences with the lost god Pan. Several of the Satyrs believe him, but most are skeptical.

My hair blows in my face and into my mouth. I groan to myself and force my hair into a tight bun on the top of my head. I hear a camper gasp, considering it's not everyday you see someone's hair fix itself into a bun mid-stride.

Clarisse stands awkwardly to the side. She smiles at me when I stop next to her, but she doesn't say anything.

Juniper, Grover's girlfriend is a nervous wreck. Annabeth rubs her back soothingly but it doesn't seem to calm her down. Poor Juniper hiccups and another wave of tears gush from her eyes like a waterfall.

Annabeth looks up in surprise. "There you are. We have to go now or we will be late for the hearing."

We all start going down a path, beaten by satyr hooves over the years, deep into the woods. It's in a completely different section than where the campers would play capture the flag, so this is completely new territory for me but the path is pretty straight forward so we won't get lost.

"What are your guy's plans for the labyrinth?" Annabeth asks. Juniper leans on her for support. She dabs her eyes with a small handkerchief. Juniper mutters something about being strong for Grover but stays silent for the most part.

Clarisse and I share a look. There is an unspoken communication between us. "We were planning to go into Manhattan and go back to where we found the entrance this weekend." Clarisse answers. "Maybe it can tell us where another entrance is."

Annabeth frowns. "Not likely. All the entrances to the labyrinth are different. I highly doubt that it would give you any clue where the next one is, but it's worth a shot. We don't really have any other lead unless you both..."She doesn't finish her sentence but Clarisse and I both know that she was about to suggest going back into the Labyrinth. Annabeth shakes her head. "Never mind. That's not a good idea. Especially after what happened last time."

We finally reach the area where the hearing will take place. There are three very large satyrs sitting on thrones made of rose bushes. Grover stands in front of them with an anxious expression on his face. He manages to smile slightly when he sees us, but other than that he is a nervous wreck. There is a circle of younger satyrs around him with stone cold expression. It's almost funny seeing them act so serious since only several hours ago I saw them skipping through the strawberry fields while singing camp songs.

Juniper lets out a hiccup of tears, but hides it so Grover doesn't get any more nervous. She quickly dabs any stray tears and attempts to make her face void of emotion. Somehow she is able to keep herself together fairly impressively but she's like a glass figurine. One wrong move and she will shatter.

"Let this Council meeting begin." A satyr on the far left side says. I never memorized their names and now I wish I had. It would make everything so much easier for me.

"Tell us, satyr, your story." The satyr in the middle commands.

Grover tells them all about Pan. The whole time his is nervously tapping his hoof and scrunching up the end of his t-shirt. He's probably going to make me mend it again since the Children of Aphrodite seem to have a knack for sewing or anything that has to do with clothes for that matter.

Chiron comes trotting into the clearing with Percy on his back. I look away quickly. This is the first time I've seen his since Nico ran off. I want to say that I don't blame him at all, but I do partially. Maybe if he said the news about Bianca more gently or tried to get Nico to understand then he wouldn't have run off so suddenly. But I know that it isn't completely Percy's fault. I'm sure that even if Percy tried harder to make him understand that Nico wouldn't listen. He's stubborn like Hades, even if he doesn't want to admit it.

He stands next to me and Clarisse. She mutters something underneath her breath but I don't know what she said. It was most likely an insult, though, considering her rough relationship with the Son of Poseidon.

"It's going terribly! Oh, my Grover." Juniper sniffles into a handkerchief. Small tears race down her face. She catches them in her handkerchief like she's crying rubies.

Annabeth pats her shoulders, but looks at a loss for words. "No, no. Grover will be fine, Juniper. He just will."

I glance up at Percy to see him staring at the wood nymph with a very confused expression on his face. I pinch his arm so that he will look at me.

"That's Juniper, Grover's girlfriend." I tell him in a low voice. Percy's eyes grow wide in surprise. Trust me, I was surprised too when I found out.

"Master Underwood!" A council member yells, interrupting Grover. His goat-like legs quiver underneath him. "Do you expect us to believe this story?" All the satyrs narrow their eyes at Grover at once. This only makes Grover more nervous.

Grover nods his head. "It's the truth!" He stammers out. Grover curls his fingers under the shirt. I hear a small rip. Good thing I have a sewing kit back in the chest by my bed.

The council member narrows his eyes. "Six months. For six months we have heard your claims that the god Pan spoke to you."

Grover's eyes widen. "But he did!"

A council member on the left scowls at him. "Impudence! Such scandalous claims!"

Chiron's lips fall into a straight line. "Maron, have patience." He says calmly, unlike the rest of the council.

Maron glares at the centaur. "Patience indeed! I am done with this foolish nonsense. As if the great god Pan would want to speak to _him_." His lips curl up in disgust at the sight of Grover.

Juniper throws down her handkerchief and starts to march over to the council. Clarisse and I hold her back while Annabeth blocks her view of the council.

"Wait. You have to pick your fights." I mutter.

Clarisse nods. "And this is the wrong one." Juniper manages to calm down but I still see the fire in her eyes. A look that says that they will all suffer the worst fate for doubting Grover. Maybe I was wrong about her being a glass figurine. She's definitely stronger than I give her credit.

Another council member clears his throat. He glares at us for making a disturbance. His eyes travel back to Grover. "We have indulged you for six months. We let you travel wherever you please. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We have waited long for solid proof of your claim. And what have you found, Master Underwood, on your six months of travel?"

"I just need more time!" Grover pleads. He's practically on his knees for the council.

"Nothing!" Maron interrupts. "You have found absolutely nothing!"

"But..." Grover starts but the council member in the middle holds up his hand to silence him.

Chiron leans in and says something to the council. They don't look very happy but they don't disagree.

Maron sighs. "Master Underwood, we will give you one last chance." He grits through his teeth.

Grover brightens up like a lightbulb. I'm surprised he isn't jumping up and down already. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"One more week." Maron says without emotion.

Grover's face falls in disappointment. "But sir! That's impossible! I need more time than that!"

The council members shake their heads at him. "You will only have one more week. After that, if you cannot prove you impossible claims, you will be forced to pursue another career. Perhaps tap dancing will suit you."

"But... sir! I can't lose my searcher's license! My whole life-"

"This meeting is adjourned!" The council interrupts. They all then go off to have their noonday meal, leaving Grover looking like a sad puppy.

Grover trudges over to Percy. He doesn't look up from the ground. "Hey Percy. That went well."

Juniper immediately jumps into action to cheer up her boyfriend. She wraps him into a huge hug. "Those stupid, old goats. Oh Grover, they just don't know how hard you have been trying!" Her face turns suddenly vicious. "If you want, I can force them to listen. Just give a large stick and they won't be able to say no." I back away slightly. It's off-putting to see gentle Juniper look so threatening.

"There is another option." Clarisse says darkly.

I nod in agreement. "Clarisse is right. You always could-"

Juniper interrupts me with a terrifying glare. She runs her hands through Grover's hair. Based on the content sigh Grover gives, it's calming him down. "No. No! I won't let you do it, Grover. Anything but that." Juniper cries out.

Grover pouts. "I'll think about it but we don't even know where to look."

Percy glances at each of us, looking for some sort of answer. "What are you guys talking about?"

Suddenly the conch horn sounds. It echoes throughout the woods. Percy isn't going to get his answer anytime soon.

"Cabin inspection is starting. We'll fill you in later." I reassure him.

Grover grabs my arm before I go back to my cabin. He looks down pointedly at the holes he made in his shirt. "Can you patch these holes for me later? This is one of my last good shirts. I kind of ate the other ones."

I nod. "Of course."

He manages to put on a small smiles. "Thanks Rina."

Juniper smiles. "Yeah, thanks! I will talk to the Stoll brothers about getting my Grover more shirts."

Grover blushes. "Ah, you don't have to do that for me."

Juniper kisses him on the cheek. "But I want to! Oh, Grover. You deserve the best shirts in camp."

I don't stick around to hear his reply, knowing that this will only lead to a kissing session. _That_ I do not want to watch.

* * *

><p>I sweep the room with a broom one last time before inspection has started. Silena is the cabin inspector this afternoon and I know that she isn't lenient on the Aphrodite cabin. Even if a poor score dooms herself to cold showers.<p>

I glance around the room. All these faces are foreign to me though they have been here for a week. They're my siblings but I only know half of their names, and that's only because Silena introduced them to me. None of them make an effort to talk to me. They all stay in their own personal cliques within the cabin. It's terrible. I'm pretty sure they all hate me. And this isn't me being melodramatic and pessimistic by just assuming that everything is out to get me. No, I'm positive that every Child of Aphrodite except Silena hates me. Every so often I hear them say terrible things about me. I can't call it 'talking behind my back' because they always make a point on letting me hear all the nasty things they say about me.

I sigh and push out the last clump of dirt with a broom. Silena is just a couple of cabins down and the Hermes cabin is still trying to get their cabin clean. They're throwing candy wrappers on the ground behind the cabin and stuffing clothes underneath their bed. I glance over at cabin 3. Percy's cyclopes brother, Tyson, has been cleaning the cabin non-stop today so maybe it isn't as terrible as it was during the winter when Nico and I broke in. Hopefully.

A girl who I believe is Drew sprays half a bottle of perfume around the room. I nearly gag on the scent while she breathes it in like it's the most wonderful smell in the world. It's like I'm being suffocated by flowers.

One of my half-brothers places a vase and a flower on the window sill. That will win us several points with Silena.

Silena peers into our cabin. She nods approvingly and marks something down on her clipboard. "Nice work guys, like always. Proud of all of you." Silena then moves on to judge the next cabin.

Several of my half-siblings giggle to themselves in a corner. I hear my name come up. Sometimes I think that they aren't even talking about me but randomly say my name loudly just to get to me. And if that's what they're doing, then it's working.

I sigh and take out a book. I might as well read before dinner comes and hopefully this will help me drown at their annoying voices.

* * *

><p>They think I can't hear them talking about me. Or maybe the know that I can hear them and are doing this on purpose, just so they can see me upset. I mean, they're sitting on the other end of the Aphrodite table only a couple of feet away from me. Everyone can hear them.<p>

They all let out a laugh. Silena shoots them a glare and they fall silent immediately. For a couple of moments they are completely silent, then they begin to whisper among themselves again.

Silenalooks ashamed by the way she is avoiding eye contact and staring at her dish of food. She fiddles around with her fork. "They're not usually like this." Silena mutters into her cup.

"Like what? Gossipy brats with nothing better to do than sit around and tan?" I comment.

Silena smirks. "Nobody can deny a good tan."

I take a bite out of my quesadilla. "I would rather have a good sword than a good tan any day. With a sword you can protect yourself. With a tan you get skin cancer."

Silena swallows the food in her mouth. "You know, there has never been a single documented case of a Child of Aphrodite getting skin cancer. Maybe we were just born to be golden brown."

I shrug. "Maybe."

She places down her cup with a bit of force. "But point is, they normally accept all of our siblings with open arms. I don't understand why they don't love you."

A boy with bright blonde hair leans over the table to whisper to his fellow siblings, looking at me from the corner of his eye. "Purple hair... not a true Daughter of Aphrodite... ridiculous." I hear him whisper but I only catch several words.

I stand up abruptly, making the table shake. This will stop now. There is no way that I will sit here listening to them talk about me.

I stalk over to the boy. My hand clench into a tight fist. The smirk on his face makes my blood boil.

"Yes, Aikarina?" He asks. Somehow he knows my name while he is still a faceless stranger to me.

I give him a sickening smile. "I would appreciate if you would stop talking about me." I grit through my teeth. The anger inside of me is just begging to be let out, and I might just let it unleash all of its fury on my half-brother.

He tilts his head. "I would appreciate it if you would stop being a waste of space. You know how they say that the gods never make a mistake? We all know that's not correct but the biggest proof against it is you. You're an unlovable mistake. Mother never loved you and never-"

My hand moves automatically into a strong fist. I don't even get a moment to think before my fist collides with his nose. There is a loud crack and a gush of blood flooding from his nostrils. Adrenaline rushes through my veins that masks the stinging in my hand. He looks at me in disbelief, but he can't say anything because I already punched him again.

The fight rushes through my veins and powers my anger. It rears its ugly head and prompts me to keep going, to show no mercy. He will not get away with acting so rude to me.

He falls from the table and onto the hard pavilion floor with a thud. Several of the Children of Ares are chanting my name, egging me on. As if I need any more encouragement to keep going. Their chants seem to fuel the fire and make the anger stronger. It was strong before, but now it's like a Titan, ruling my actions and controlling my thoughts like a dictator. My conscience tries to fight against it. It tries to tell me that this isn't right, but it's fighting a losing battle. It's like a fly fighting an elephant.

My actions are smooth and without thought. There is not a moment of guilt when I kick him with all my strength. It's like I'm in a trance, and each time my foot collides with his body I fall deeper and deeper into the dark depths of my mind. It isn't until I feel a strong pair of arms pull me back that I am fully aware of what I'm doing. Only then the Titan that is my anger is kicked off its throne and locked back in its cage.

I struggle to get out of his grip but Charles has me completely locked. There is no way to get out. All I can do is take deep breaths and relax.

"Let me go, Charles." I growl. I ache to get back to my brother and continue to beat him up. He is lying on the ground, groaning. Several of the Children of Apollo tend to his wounds. Two go back to get a stretcher from the Big House. The fact that I might've broken several bones gives me a sick sense of satisfaction and that terrifies me. This is exactly what my father warned me about all those years. The anger controlled me, and I let it. I didn't try to stop it. It's as if I handed it the key to my house then was surprised when it broke in.

"Calm down, Rina." Silena begs. Her face is bleach white with fear. "Do you know what you just did?" She asks in disbelief.

The weight of guilt comes crashing down. No, it's not because of my half-brother withering in pain. It's because of the disappointment on Silena's face. It's like she cannot believe that I would stoop so low. Her face looks exactly like I imagine my father's would look like if he was here.

Clarisse rushes up to me with a smirk on her face. I look around to see the other Children of Ares the exact same. I think Ava even gave me a thumbs up. It makes me feel justified in my actions, but then I look back at Silena and feel guilty again.

"You did the right thing." Clarisse tells me. She smiles at me with satisfaction.

"No she didn't, Clarisse. Violence is not always the answer." Silena snaps.

Clarisse raises an eyebrow. "Did you hear what they were saying about her? I say you should've done that a long time ago. Heck, if you didn't then I would've." She shrugs. Clarisse grips my shoulder. "You can let her go, Charles. I'll make sure she doesn't get in any trouble."

Charles hesitantly lets go of me. His hands linger on my arms, almost as if he expects me to attack my half-brother again. But when Silena nods at him, he steps away but still keeps a wary eye on me.

I look down at my hands. His blood is on my hands. "What was his name?" I ask Silena. For some reason it's bothering me that I can't place a name to the face. Maybe I just want to know who it was that I hurt.

She frowns. "Ralph Hampton. I know they were giving you a hard time, but I thought you were better than," she glances over at Clarisse. "_, that_."

Clarisse scowls at the Daughter of Aphrodite. "Better than a Daughter of Ares? You know, if she was my sister, the whole Ares cabin would be congratulating her for standing up for herself. She didn't just sit back and take it. No. She put a stop to it. She took matters into her own hands. I doubt that any of your so-called-siblings will dare talk like that in front of her again." She says smugly. Clarisse folds her arms across her chest and lifts her chin defiantly.

Chiron stands behind Silena. He frowns at me and looks incredibly worried. Somehow I know that he knows about the anger that I feel deep down. Chiron understands, but that doesn't mean that he approves. "Silena, as head cabin leader, you will be in charge for Aikarina's punishment since the conflict was just within Cabin 10. Be cautious that the punishment matches the crime." Chiron advises. He looks down at me with sad eyes.

Silena bites her lip in thought. "Chiron, I don't think that is the best idea. I can't make a decision like that."

He shakes his head. "Nonsense, child. You told me yourself that you wish to become a strong leader. This is one of the difficult jobs that come with being in charge."

Silena looks down at the ground then back up at me. "You must apologize to Ralph and you are responsible for extensive cleaning Cabin 10 every single day for the next month. You also will be in charge of cleaning the showers for the rest of the week."

Clarisse looks up at the Centaur in disbelief. "Rina shouldn't be punished for this! All she was doing was standing up for her herself!"

Chiron's lips form a straight line but he doesn't say anything more on the subject. He walks away to let Silena handle the rest of the situation. Silena narrows her eyes at her. "Yes, she does. You can't just go beat up everyone who says something bad about you. She's not like you." She spits out.

Clarisse clenches her fist and I'm sure she's feeling something that I only know too well. "What do you mean 'she's not like you'? Huh, Barbie?"

Silena takes a step closer. The tension in the air multiplies. Out of the corner of my eye I see Charles tense for a fight. "She's not a Daughter of Ares. She's _not_ a terrible person like you!"

Clarisse is about to swing a right hook when I step in between them both. I glare at Silena. "You don't know me. You know things about me, but you don't really know me. The Children of Ares are not terrible people and honestly, I seem to relate to them more than my own siblings." I glare at Clarisse. "Do you want to be punished also? I don't think Chiron would go as easy on you even if you're a cabin leader."

She growls but backs down with a huff. Despite the threat of a fight gone, Clarisse still looks like she wants to tear Silena's throat out and Silena looks like she is ready to stab Clarisse. All the while this is happening, I can't help but think where on earth Chiron is!

My sister leans forward so that Clarisse can hear her better. "Go to the crows!" She curses. Silena lets out a frustrated groan then stomps away from us. She mutters something about the Children of Ares brainwashing her sister.

Clarisse places a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, if things get too rough, there are a couple of spare beds in the Ares cabin. You've proven yourself to us so no one will have any problems. And if they do, then they will have to mess with me and Ava."

I smile at her. Lately I have been thinking of her as a friend, and her actions have proven that to me. "Thanks but I don't want them to think that I'm running away from them."

Clarisse nods in approval. "You're braver than a lot of people out there. Don't forget that, Rina." Her eyes twinkle with appreciation.

I smile at her complement. "Race you to the lake?"

She narrows her eyes. "You're on!" Suddenly she pushes me to the ground and runs as fast as she can.

"Cheater!" I yell as I get up. As soon as my feet are back under me, I run after her as fast as I can.

It's moments like these where I wish that I told Chiron that I wanted to stay in the cabin for the Children of Ares. I don't belong there, but I fit in in the Ares cabin more than I ever will in the Aphrodite cabin.

* * *

><p><strong>Je préfère manier une épée que les mots. = I would rather wield a sword than words.<strong>

**J'étais inquiet. Vous êtes en retard = I was worried. You're late.  
><strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you everyone who has followed/favorited/reviewed this story! I really appreciate the support. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the Percy Jackson series.**

**I'm going to address this since I got a guest review awhile ago and they were confused about how Rina is more powerful than your average halfblood. That's because of simple genetics. Everyone gets half of their genes from each parent. Aphrodite gave her 50% of godly DNA. Tyler was a demigod so he was 50% god and 50% mortal. Since Tyler gives Rina half of his DNA, she got 25% god and 25% mortal from him to a grand total of 75% god and 25% mortal. She isn't quite a demigod or a complete god. **

**That doesn't make a ton of sense but I hope that this clears things up for you. If it doesn't then I can try to explain it better. This was pretty much how I got my idea for this story of what would happen if a demigod has a child with a god.**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

><p>"Wake up." Someone whispers into my ear. Their breath smells like onions mixed with mints. I wrinkle my nose but continue to pretend I'm asleep.<p>

I keep my eyes close and slowly move my hand to the knife I keep underneath my pillow. It has become a habit ever since the Stoll brothers have started to pull pranks at me in the middle of the night. One night in the spring I had to defend myself against a bat that they set loose in the room. Sure, a bat is not much compared to the other monsters I have fought, but it was still terrifying. The fact that Silena kept screaming bloody murder for me to kill it added to the fear factor.

I grip the hilt of the blade. It's smooth to the touch like my other knife that I lent Nico.

"Wake up!" the person whines, this time being more forceful. The voice is familiar. It sounds like Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin.

I open my eyes a crack to see several people from the Apollo cabin staring down at me. Lee, Michael, Will, Austin, and Kayla. On their backs they have quivers and their bows ready. In the dark they look like Artemis's Hunters, if you ignore the fact that there's several boys. They have the same proud posture and ready stance.

Lee smirks at me. He holds out a spare bow to me which I reluctantly hold. "Wanna go kill some Aethiopian Drakon?" He wiggles his eyebrows. He then tosses a quiver full of arrows on my bed.

I rub my tired eyes. Maybe I didn't hear that right. "What are you talking about?" I ask.

Lee rolls his eyes. "You know, a really long lizard with-"

I shake my head. "I know what an Aethiopian Drakon is, Lee." I Interrupt.

He lets out a chuckle. "It's been spotted by the border, and since you need help with your archery, this is the perfect practice!" The other children from Apollo nod eagerly.

"Plus, after seeing what you did to Ralph Hampton, that just proves that we need you on our side." Austin says. Lee punches him in the arm to shut him up.

I glance up at Lee, completely ignoring Austin's comment. My eyes grow wide in the dark. "Are you kidding me? Why don't I just practice tomorrow with a bullseye?"

Lee shrugs. "You're so bad at archery that it's laughable. We think that it's a mental block."

I raise an eyebrow. "A mental block?"

He shrugs again. The arrows on his back knock together because of his movement. "Yeah. We've seen you go crazy with a sword on the monsters in the woods but you only do average sword moves on a test dummy. Our theory is that it has to be a moving, breathing monster for you to be able to attack it right."

I open my mouth to tell them to get out of the cabin, but it makes sense. I can't seem to do any complicated sword moves against the test dummies. But when I'm in front of a living opponent, I can swing my sword however I want. Despite my gut telling me to go back to bed, I get up, put on my shoes and follow the Children of Apollo out of the cabin. Luckily for us, none of my other half-siblings wake up. Gods know how crabby they would be if I of all people woke them up.

The morning air is cooler than usual. It's a nice change after all the hot afternoons we have had. A thin layer of fog covers the ground. It swirls around our feet slowly.

Several harpies let out a screech, as predicted, but I have a feeling that Chiron told them not to eat anyone so that the Apollo cabin can take care of the Aethiopian Drakon. The only other sounds are our controlled breathing and the occasional owl.

Lee points towards a spot around the border with one hand. He gestures around in a circular motion to tell us that we will circle the entire camp until we find the monster.

We run right outside of the border, careful not to go over it. If we pass the invisible barrier, then we are at the Drakon's mercy. We all keep an arrow ready to shoot but surprisingly we don't see it anywhere. The closest thing to a Drakon that we found is a small salamander in the rocks which scared Lee half to death when it crawled over his foot.

A tidal wave of shadows rushes towards us. I look up to see a dark figure blocking the full moon from my vision. It slithers out of the dark on its beefy legs. Its teeth flicker in the moonlight and its bright, amber eyes are mesmerizing. I find myself unable to look away. It's like they have a hold on me. The Drakon opens its mouth and roars. Like an alarm clock wakes up a sleeper, the roar breaks me out of the trance.

It charges towards us but is stopped by an invisible force. The air ripples around the boundary of the camp but doesn't show any sign of letting the monster through. The Drakon grunts in frustration but continues to fight its way to us even though there is no chance of it getting through.

"Rain some arrows on this monster!" Someone shouts. The Children of Apollo scream their own personal war cries. It's a symphony of shrieks. Arrows fly expertly from their bow into the target. They're so graceful compared to me fumbling to get an arrow out of my quiver. Shooting a bow comes so naturally to them. A bow is just merely an extension of their soul outside of their body.

Deep down I yearn to be as good as them as archery just so that I could express a small part of myself when I shoot an arrow. Every time I that I would take aim at my target, everyone around me would see a sliver into my personality. They would see me for who I am. An archer. I would finally have a label that I could stick onto myself. There would finally be somewhere that I could truly belong. But that is only a whimsical dream that will never come true considering that every time I shoot an arrow, I completely miss my target.

My arrow flies several feet away from its leg. I grit my teeth to keep myself from cracking the bow in half.

Kayla shoots an arrow right in its neck. The arrow is lets out an array of sparks that eat away at the Drakon's scales. It hisses at her in pain. She smiles in my direction. "Come on, Rina. You can do it! Just focus." She says.

I scowl at the arrow. If it was a sword then this would be much more fun. I shoot several more arrow but they miss completely. Somehow I am able to miss a large lizard not even twenty feet away from me.

Lee comes next to me. I pull back the arrow and he critiques my technique. He pokes my arms to make them straighter and has me pull back the string further. He nods in approval and lets me release the arrow. Even with his help I miss the huge monster.

Lee smirks at me. "Come on, you can do it! Just pretend that it's Ralph instead of a giant monster."

I draw my mouth into a stern line. This seems to make me incredibly focused, just by imaging Ralph's smirking face in the place of the Aethiopian Drakon's head. I pull back the string and land the arrow right in its neck. It's off from where I was aiming but at least I hit the monster!

The Children of Apollo let out a cheer. Their happy voices remind me of Apollo so much. There is no doubt in my mind that they are his children. I pull back my arrow and hit the monster again and again. By the time the Aethiopian Drakon retreats into the woods, I am out of arrows and a smile is plastered on my face.

Will slings his arm around my shoulder. "See, now we all expect you to hit the bull's eye this afternoon." He says casually. Will slings his bow over his shoulder with a smug expression.

I pull his arm off me and roll my eyes. "Like that's going to happen. Unless you get Ralph or any of my other horrible half-siblings to stand in front of the target, I don't think I'll hit it."

Will taps my nose while making a 'boop' sound. "Nah, eventually you will get this and you'll be shooting arrows as good as Apollo."

* * *

><p>I spent most of the morning waxing the floor, making beds, and throwing out garbage. It seems like everyone in the Aphrodite cabin made it their personal goal for me to clean up as much of their junk as possible. Chocolate wrappers litter the floor, someone's laundry is thrown around the cabin, and someone's stinky shoes lies under their bed. Despite me aching to give them a piece of my mind about picking up after themselves, I still clean up everything like Silena told me I had to. Plus, I dug my grave when I attacked Ralph. Now I have to pay the price.<p>

The last of the candy wrappers falls from my hand and into the waste basket. Done at last. I already missed the beginning of breakfast. If I run to the pavilion then at least I will be able to get something to eat instead of starving until dinner.

I arrive at the pavilion to see the Aphrodite table full. There are wood nymphs and satyrs clogging up the open seats. They seem uncomfortable here but the my other siblings make sure they stay seated. Silena looks uncomfortable with this whole thing. When she sees me, she tries to usher a wood nymph from her spot but she doesn't budge. Drew manages to keep her sitting down.

Silena hands me a plate and goblet. She tries to smile but it looks more like a grimace. "Sorry, Rina. Erica invited the wood nymphs to eat with us and they didn't leave a spot for you. Maybe we can get one to move." She wonders out loud.

The girl who must be Erica twirls her gorgeous blonde curls between her fingers. It would be a shame if someone snipped them off with a pair of scissors.

"Oops. I guess I just invited one too many." She says with fake remorse. Erica laughs nervously. She glances around the table as if looking for back-up in case I punch her like I punched Ralph. Great. They're all afraid of me. As much as I dislike all of them, except for Silena, it still hurts that my own half-siblings are afraid that I will randomly sock them in the face.

I hear a loud, obviously fake cough. I look up to see Annabeth patting the seat next to her. I smile at Silena. She's kind enough to almost push someone off of the bench for me. She's a great sister compared to the others. If only there were more people like her.

"Thanks Silena, but I'll just sit at the Athena table." I tell her.

Her eyes grow wide. "But the camp rules-"

I shrug. "Well, Athena herself told me that her cabin is always open to me so I don't think she'll mind me sitting with her children at her table." I leave a confused Silena behind and take a seat next to Annabeth. Several of her siblings glance over but they don't say anything. It's seems that Annabeth already convinced them that it is best for me to sit with them.

Annabeth glances over at my siblings when they let out a loud laugh. Silena is the only one who isn't amused. Annabeth frowns disapprovingly.

"They're giving you a hard time?" She asks. Annabeth bites her bottom lip thoughtfully.

I clench my hands together at the thought of my half-siblings. "Kind of, but it's not too bad. I can handle it."

Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "Like you handled Ralph?" She sees the hesitation in my face. "The way you handled it was wrong. It was very... unwise for you to attack your brother like that. But honestly, if I were you, I probably would've done the same thing if my siblings were talking about me like that. I'm not sure if I could handle them gossiping about me so much. Why are they treating you like that?"

I pause. It has never occurred to about why they are so horrible to me. For all I know, they might have a legitimate reason to hate me. I shrug half-heartedly. "I have no clue. I wish I knew."

She glances at me with bright, curious eyes. "My mother came to me in a dream. She told me to welcome you to our table." Annabeth says, effectively changing the subject.

My mouth curves into a smile at the fact of Athena looking out for me. "That's really kind of her."

Annabeth takes a bite out of her apple. She swallows quickly. "What I'm wondering is why Athena would be concerned about a Daughter of Aphrodite." She muses.

I consider my next words for a moment. "I'm going to be honest, she's practically like a mother to me."

Her eyebrows come together in confusion. She opens her mouth to ask a question but snaps it shut. Annabeth looks very, very confused.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Grover sit in a spot next to Percy. Annabeth sees it to, and the moment Chiron leaves the dining pavilion, Annabeth moves into action. She grabs my hand and drags me over to the Poseidon table. She sits right next to Percy while I sit next to Grover.

Annabeth leans in. "I'll tell you what it's about. The Labyrinth." She answers, most likely to an answer Percy asked that I didn't hear. Her eyes seem to light up every time she talks about it. The Labyrinth is one of the most impressive Greek structures ever made. And since architecture is a passion of Annabeth's, it's no wonder that she is fascinated with the maze.

Percy glances between Annabeth and me. "You guys aren't supposed to be here." He says but it sounds more like a question.

I roll my eyes. "This is important."

Annabeth nods. "We have to talk." She insists.

"But the rules," Percy starts but when he sees Annabeth's stern look, he shrinks down in his seat. "Never mind."

"Grover is in trouble and there's only one way we can think of to help him. Clarisse, Rina, and I have investigated everything there is to know about the Labyrinth. This might be his only shot." Annabeth rushes out. She taps her fingers on the table impatiently.

Percy brings his lips together in concentration. "The Labyrinth. That's where the minotaur was kept in the old days."

I nod. "That's it."

Percy turns to me. "So obviously it's not under the king's palace in Crete right now. It must be under some building in America."

Annabeth and I both look at each other. At the same time we break out in fit of girlish giggles that neither of us knew we were capable of. Percy looks somewhat offended while Grover just wants to melt in his seat from the mere thought of going into the maze. Annabeth takes in a deep breath and quickly controls her laughter. "The Labyrinth is humongous, Percy. It wouldn't fit under a single city, much less a building. I wouldn't be surprised if it went across the whole continent." She tells him.

Percy still looks confused. "So is it a part of the Underworld?"

I sigh. "No, of course not." I pause slightly. My lips form tiny frown as I think of the many possibilities. "Actually there might be some passages that lead to the Underworld but it's not a direct part of the Underworld."

Annabeth purses her lips. "That makes sense but the Underworld is way, _way_ down. The Labyrinth is only at the surface. Almost like a second skin that has been growing for thousands of years. It all connects together and weaves under cities and such. You can go anywhere through the Labyrinth."

Grover cups his face in his hands. "If you don't get lost or die a painful death." Grover mutters through his fingers.

I place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Annabeth looks at him in pity. "Grover, there has to be a way. Clarisse and Rina lived." She tells him.

Grover's eyes widen. He slams his hands on the table. "Barely! They both came back stumbling to camp with a hoard of monsters on their tails muttering something about the walls shifting! Clarisse almost died of dehydration!" I close my eyes and shudder at the memories that I have worked so hard to blot out. Clarisse and I went into the labyrinth and barely got out. It messed with us and we luckily got out with our lives. Few people are as lucky as us to escape. "And the other guy is... is..." Grover stutters in despair.

I push aside all the terrible memories of the Labyrinth. Now is not the time to mentally relive the nightmares. "He was driven to insanity. He didn't die." I remind him.

Grover's lip quivers in fear. "Thanks, Rina. That makes me feel a bunch better." He says sarcastically.

Percy holds up his hand. "Hold up. Who's this insane guy?"

Annabeth and I instinctively glance over at the Ares table. Clarisse is staring at us with knowing eyes. She nods as if to tell us to tell them everything then she looks back down at her untouched plate. She has dark circles under her eyes again. I will have to talk to her later and ask it she's still having night terrors. If she is, then maybe Chiron will have something to help her.

Annabeth leans in closer so that no one will overhear. "Last year, Clarisse went on a special mission for Chiron. It was secret because she found Chris Rodriguez."

"The guy from the Hermes cabin?" Percy blurts out louder than necessary. I glare at him so that he quiets down.

Annabeth nods slowly. "Last year he just appeared right by Clarisse's mom's house in Phoenix. Completely bizarre. She's lives in the middle of the desert. Nearest town is a half-hour away."

Percy lowers his voice. "What do you mean by 'just appeared'? People just don't appear out of nowhere."

I open my mouth to tell him differently. I want to tell them about the time I made myself appear in Olympus, which I still have no clue how to do, but I decide to keep my mouth shut. Once I know how to do it then I will tell them.

"He was just walking around in the desert in over hundred heat. He was in full Greek armor and mumbling stuff about a string." Annabeth whispers.

"String?" Percy asks.

"He was insane." I answer. "Completely out of it. So Clarisse brought him back and nursed him back to health. Chiron came out to Phoenix to interrogate him but it really didn't do anything. He wouldn't say anything but that Luke's men are exploring the Labyrinth."

I can see in Percy's eyes that he is connecting the dots but there is one piece still missing. "Why would they be exploring the Labyrinth?" He asks quietly.

Annabeth, Grover, and I all share a look of concern. We all are fearing the same thing. Annabeth clears her throat. "We weren't sure, and we aren't too sure right now, but we have an idea." She says reluctantly. "That's why Clarisse and Rina went on a scouting mission right after Chiron talked to Chris. Chiron kept things pretty much under wraps because people would panic if they knew. I'm involved because the Labyrinth is one of my favorite subjects." Her face flushes a light pink. "The architecture involved in it... Daedalus was a genius. The amount of intelligence it would take to design something that impressive. But the point is that there are entrances to the Labyrinth are everywhere. If Luke were to figure out how to maneuver through it..." Annabeth trails off.

"Except, it's a maze. Right?"

Grover groans. "Full of terrifying traps and even more terrifying monsters. Dead ends. Illusions. Spikes. Goat-eating creatures." He shivers visibly in his seat. "Incredibly dangerous."

I hold up a finger. "Not if you have Ariadne's sting. That string guided Theseus out of the maze just fine. It was an invention created by Daedalus. It's a navigation device for the maze and it makes perfect sense since Chris was talking about a string." I answer. Annabeth nods in approval. All of this info I learned from her. She really is well-educated about the Labyrinth.

"Luke is trying to find Ariadne's string." Percy says to no one in particular. He glances at each of us. "Why? What could he be planning?"

Annabeth shakes her head. "I really don't know. At first Rina and I thought that he wanted to invade camp but the closest entrance is in Manhattan."

"That wouldn't make any sense." I interrupt. "He wouldn't be able to get into the borders but maybe it can help with moving troops faster. That is definitely an advantage in a time of war."

Annabeth nods. "Clarisse and Rina explored a little into the tunnels and nearly got killed. They're lucky that they got out in one piece. I have spent so much time researching as much as I can about Daedalus but I can't find anything that could be really useful in telling us what Luke is planning. But there is one thing I know: it could be the answer to Grover's problem."

Percy blinks at the Daughter of Athena. "You think that Pan is underground?"

I shrug. "It would explain why he is so hard to find. I don't think that any satyr would dare go into the Labyrinth so that's why Pan hasn't been found."

Grover gulps. "No one in their right mind would. Satyrs hate everything that has to do with underground. No searcher would ever, _ever_ search that place."

Annabeth tilts her head. "But it can lead you almost anywhere. The place reads your thoughts. It's designed to fool you and to mess with your mind. It's the perfect trap. It molds to the individual person. But if we can make it work for us then the possibilities are endless!"

"It could lead you right to the lost god." Percy says quietly.

Grover looks like he's going to be sick. He shakes his head wildly, like there is water in his ear. "I can't do it! I can't go into the labyrinth. Just thinking about it makes me want to puke all over the pavilion."

I turn the satyr to face me. His eyes are wide with fear. "This is pretty much your only chance! The council is serious. You have to bring proof otherwise your searcher's license will be taken away. One week or you're learning how to tap dance." I threaten. This seems to knock some sense in him but he is still against the idea.

Quintus, a talented swordsman here at Camp Halfblood to help us with our fighting skills, clears his throat. He makes a point to look at Annabeth and me. His eyes shift back to where we should be sitting, then back to us.

I sigh. "We should go before Quintus says something."

Annabeth nods. She squeezes Percy's arm, maybe a little too tightly because he winces slightly. "We'll talk later." She throws a glance Grover's way. "Convince him, will you?" She lowers her voice noticeably.

I get up with Annabeth right behind me. We both walk back to the Athena table. Quintus seems to approve of this arrangement because he doesn't say anything to me about going back to the Aphrodite table. Something tells me that he knows about my half-siblings.

Annabeth sets her chin in her hands. Her eyes light up with the pursuit of knowledge. "So, tell me about this Aethiopian Drakon I keep hearing about." Several other Children of Athena lean in to eavesdrop. Lee told us all about it earlier, but I'm sure they're all curious of another perspective.

I smile. "Well, first the eyes..."

* * *

><p>I shift uncomfortably on each foot. Silena crosses her arms across her chest. She narrows her eyes dangerously, daring me to go against her.<p>

I clear my throat. "Maybe I should do this some other time." I start to leave but Silena blocks my way. She's taller than me, especially in heels, so it's like trying to get around a very tall brick wall that keeps moving in front of you.

She jabs a sharp finger towards me. "Remember that this is part of your punishment. You _have_ to apologize to him." Silena reminds me.

I hold up the box of chocolates and flowers that Silena is forcing me to give to him. "But do I really have to give-"

She holds up her hand to silence me. "Yes. The flowers and chocolates are a much needed peace-offering." Her expression softens. "You're doing the right thing by apologizing. Don't forget that."

I let out a sigh. It's now or never. I'm sure that my pride will get the best of me and won't let me apologize if I push this off until later. If Ralph is ever going to hear me say sorry to him, it's now while I still feel guilty under Silena's gaze.

The anger deep inside of me roars in outrage as I walk into the infirmary. 'Why should I have to apologize? He's the one who was rude to me. He had it coming.' these thoughts dash through my head. The devil sits on my shoulder, whispering more things like that in my ear. For a second I feel as angry as I did as I was yesterday. I mentally shake my head. No. I'm going to suck up my pride and do what needs to be done.

"Ralph? It's me, Rina." I say to the lump under several piles of blankets. Ralph glances over to me. His nose is bent oddly and he has two swollen, black eyes. He looks like a mess.

I'm sure if his eyes weren't almost swollen shut, then he would be narrowing them at me. "I know who you are." He sneers. He doesn't seem the least bit afraid of me. "Are you going to beat me up again? 'Cause I'll yell."

I shake my head. "No.. I..." The rest of the apology plays in my head but doesn't come through my mouth. It's like someone pressed the mute button.

I place the 'peace offerings' next to his bed. His dark green eyes light up at the sight of chocolate. The moment I set them down, he's clawing at the packaging. Ralph inhales the chocolates faster than I have ever seen anyone eat in my entire life. He's a vacuum sucking up the dust bunnies that are the chocolates.

Ralph looks up at me in surprise, as if he can't believe that I'm still here. His sharp glare softens when he brings another piece of chocolate to his lips. "What?" He sneers. Ralph accidentally spits out some chocolate as he speaks.

I frown at his tone. "I came to apologize. I'm really sorry that I beat you up. Even if you did deserve it for being rude to me." I rush out.

"That's an apology?" He says in disbelief.

I clench my fists. "I apologized, didn't I?" I lash out. I suck in a deep breath. What's wrong with me? I came to apologize and instead I insult him even more. I'm just as bad as my half-siblings are if I treat Ralph this way. I sit down on the chair next to the bed and put my face in my hands. Ralph stares at me curiously. "Look, I'm really sorry." I say calmer than usual. "I... I have problems."

Ralph lets out a snort. "Yeah you do." I glare at him. He raises his hands innocently. "What? You have insane anger issues. Don't even try to deny it."

As much as I want to argue with him, he's right. I surprise both of us by laughing. "Yeah, and it doesn't help that my pride gets in the way of everything."

Ralph shrugs. "That's a problem for every single Child of Aphrodite. We all are insanely self-confident." He sighs. "Because I am an incredibly forgiving person, I accept your apology. Just don't let it happen again." He jabs his finger in my direction.

I start to get up to leave, but then my curiosity gets the best of me. Ralph raises an eyebrow when he sees me standing near the door. "I don't blame all of you for hating me now, but why did you hate me when you first met me? I did nothing to you and you all just starting acting terribly to me." I ask.

Ralph's eyebrows come together in confusion. It seems that he doesn't even know the answer himself. "I don't know. You're different, though. I guess we can just sense that you don't belong." He says with unblinking eyes. "You're not completely like us, are you?"

Do they sense that I have a sliver of Ares is me? If they can, then that amazes me that they can pick out a difference like that so easily. Instead of answering him, I turn and walk away. He's right. I don't truly belong with them. I'm not like them and I never will be.

* * *

><p>I connect the last strap on my armor. It fits perfectly. In the early spring I asked Hephaestus for some armor and was brutally turned down. However, Charles overheard me talking to Ava about it and he made a full set of armor for me! It was very kind of him but I think that it might've only been because I'm Silena's sister.<p>

I feel a hand clasp on my shoulder. My instincts scream at me to fight back but it's only Ava.

She narrows her eyes dangerously towards my siblings. One of them looks me right in the eyes then turns back to her siblings. Suddenly they all laugh like she is the best comedian in the world.

"They're still talking, aren't?" Ava asks.

I grit my teeth. "Probably." My hand wavers on the hilt of my sword.

She looks at me with a hard expression. "Just so you know, all the Ares cabin is by your side. After the fight yesterday and the fact that you're friends with Clarisse and me, they will defend you like their own."

I smile despite the irritation I feel towards Ralph. "That means a lot to me."

Ava shrugs like it's nothing when in fact it means the world. "We always defend what's ours. If they ever do anything more than talking, you'll tell me, right?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Sure, but I doubt that will ever happen. Most of them don't even have their armor on right, so I don't think they're capable of anything but verbal abuse."

Ava tilts her head in consideration. She examines each of my half-siblings carefully. Very few have their armor on correctly. More often than not, their breastplates are lopsided and their helmets are too big.

Quintus steps forward. Mrs. O'Leary bounds happily behind him, rattling the extra armor set on the nearby tables. Each step is a minor earthquake. "Listen up!" He yells over us. We fall silent to listen to what he has to say. "You will be in teams of two… which I have already chosen."

There is a loud groan from all the people who started to grab their friends. Quintus looks amused at this and tries to hide his laughter.

"The goal is simple: get the golden laurels. It is wrapped in a silk package and is tied to the back of one of the monsters I released into the woods. There are a total of six monsters. Each one has a silk package but only one has the laurels. To get it, you will have to slay the monsters, of course." Quintus explains.

Ava bounces up and down with a huge smile on her face. "This sounds like so much fun!" She exclaims.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't as excited as her, I just keep it better hidden. "It sure does, Avalanche." I say with a cheeky smile.

Ava scowls at her nickname. "Yes sirree, Bean. Sounds like we will have a fun night." The mention of my terrible nickname wipes the smirk right off of my face.

"I will now announce your partners. There will be no complaining, switching, swapping, or trading. Am I clear?" Quintus glances at us all. Several people nod their heads so Quintus takes it that everyone understands. He takes out a large scroll the has a list of our names on it. "Charles Beckendorf with Silena Beauregard, Travis Stoll and Conner Stoll, Clarisse La Rue and Lee Fletcher, Ava Kettle and Aikarina..." Quintus pauses. He glances at me. "What's your last name? I don't have it written down."

I shuffle my feet on the dirt. "I don't have a last name." I hear several snickers but Quintus silences them with a quick glare. I expect him to keep prodding but fortunately he doesn't. Instead he just keeps naming off people.

When he calls Annabeth and Percy together, they share a look. Deep down in my gut I feel a little spark that I never would've noticed if I hadn't been looking at the two. It's like love, but not quite. More like a crush that can blossom into beautiful love. Suddenly I feel like my mother: all giddy and wanting everyone to fall in love at once. I'm almost as excited for the two of them to get together as I am to fight the mysterious monsters in the woods.

Quintus clears his throat. "You have all night, so no pressure. But once the laurel is found, the game will end immediately and you all must report back here. If there are monsters left over in the woods, we will send a small party of three out in the morning to take care of them. Best of luck."

Everyone rushes into the woods. All the groups start out together but slowly we spread out to guarantee fighting the monsters ourselves. Ava and I are a distance away from each other so that we can cover more ground. We stay within shouting distance in case something happens. Neither of us know what to expect.

She stops suddenly. Ava glances up at me and whistles for me to come over. As quietly as I can, I run over to her to see what she found. Tracks. There are marks in the dirt that looks like a monster with a lot of legs came through here.

"What do you think it is?" I wonder aloud.

Ava shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. We should stay closer together, though. Whatever Quintus released has to be huge." I nod in agreement. Ava seems much calmer now than before. The anticipation of a fight must be keeping her from bouncing off of the trees with excitement.

We walk practically back to back, always checking over our shoulders. I hear a rustle of leaves and think it's nothing, that is until I hear it again but much closer. I close my eyes so that I can listen closer. There is another rustle and the faint shuffling of feet.

"Something's following us." I hiss.

Ava nods but doesn't look behind us. "What should we do?"

I think of the battle strategies that I went over with Athena many, many times. "One of us should be the bait and guide it to us while the other comes up behind it. I'm smaller and wearing lighter armor so I should distract it. I can avoid it faster." I decide. Ava seems to agree with the plan because she doesn't add anything to it or disagree.

She points towards a bunch of bushes. "I'll hide behind that while you guide it out." Ava goes behind the bush to wait for the perfect moment to attack the monster.

I walk forward slightly, being sure to stomp loudly. The monster sounds to be closer and closer by the second. It has to be able to hear me.

"Hey, monster! You out there?" I yell. There is a loud cracking of wood then a large scorpion comes into the clearing. Its outer shell shines like our armor and its barbed stinger is as long as a warrior's sword. The scorpion snaps its pinchers several times, as if it can't wait to take the life out of me. "Wow, that's big." I gasp.

It rushes towards me surprisingly fast. Ava jumps out from behind and slashes her sword through its tail. The sword hits it like it would hit cement. The outer shell chips off in several pieces. Ava swings at the exposed flesh. This time the sword goes right through. Instead of falling into a pile of ash, the tail falls off. The scorpion hisses at her.

I smack it with my sword and a chunk of its shell comes out of its side. Ava blocks its pinchers with ease. It is fast, but not fast enough to get us. The scorpion backs away from us while snapping its pinchers. It swipes its claw at me but I roll out of the way.

There is a loud clang when my sword and the pinchers collide. It keeps pushing against me with an enormous amount of strength. Ava slices its claw with her sword while it's completely occupied with me. Its fatal mistake was forgetting that Ava was here. I take the opportunity to stab it right between the plates on its back to get to its body. The scorpion crumbles into piles of dust and ash.

Ava lets out a cheer. "Let this be a warning to all you nasty scorpions! Don't mess with Bean and Avalanche!" She cries out, ignoring the fact that she used her dreaded nickname. Ava skips over to the silk package. She lets out a light chuckle of delight when she picks it up. "Rina, you open it!" She commands. Without giving me much warning, she chucks it at my head, but I catch just in time.

The silk is incredibly soft and is a vibrant red. Even if there is nothing in it, the fabric is gorgeous. I unwrap the parcel to see a note in it. In huge, black letters it says '_Try Again'_.

Ava looks at it with wide eyes. Suddenly she throws her sword down. "Gods dang it! I could've sworn we would've won this thing!" She pouts.

I try to hide my amusement with the situation. "It's _okay_ Ava. We can just find another one. There is still time." As soon as I'm done saying that, the cannon sounds to end the game. Ava's pout transforms into a full-out Mr. D worthy frown.

"I swear when I find out who won, I will take their laurel from them by force and claim that we won." Ava mutters under her breath, but I'm sure it's 'Ares' that is talking.

* * *

><p>Ava stuck to her word, even when she saw that it was her sister Clarisse that won. They are tackling each other for it, and Clarisse is winning. Clarisse is older and stronger than Ava so it's not much of a contest but Ava is relentless.<p>

"Give it to me!" Ava shrieks like a little child. She pounds her hands on Clarisse's arms.

Clarisse snickers. "No way! I won that fair and square!"

"With Lee!" Ava reminds her. "Why don't you give it to him?"

"So that you can just beat him up and take it? Not gonna happen!" She grunts. Clarisse manages to kick Ava off of her. The face each other in a stance similar to wrestlers. Ava lunges at her, making them both tumble to the ground.

Several of the other Children of Ares come back. All of them are muddy and not happy, but their spirits lift up immediately at the fight. They gather around the two and start making bets on who will win.

Sherman smirks at the two. "How do you think will win?" He asks me. Ever since the hellhounds back in the winter, he has warmed up to me. Well, he's no longer glaring at me every time we see each other.

"Oh, Clarisse for sure." I say without hesitation.

"Rina!" Ava exclaims in surprise. Clarisse takes advantage of her distraction and pins her to the grass. Ava lets out a groan of disappointment, along with half of the Children of Ares. In the dark I can see the glint of drachmas passed from one hand to another.

"That's enough!" Quintus booms. "Has anyone seen Percy and Annabeth?" Nobody answers. Quintus frowns. "Nobody will be left behind. Get together in groups of three to search the woods. There may be some monsters left so be cautious." Mrs. O'Leary woofs in agreement.

* * *

><p>The torch in my hand is starting to burn low and my voice is hoarse from calling out their names. If we don't find them soon, then my voice will be completely gone.<p>

Clarisse groans in irritation. "We checked all of the woods except for Zeus's Fist. If they're not there, then they're not anywhere." She tells us. Several groups spread out and head in that direction.

"What if they're dead? What then?" Ava asks but she doesn't look too concerned for them. The Ares cabin is most definitely not a fan of Percy Jackson.

Clarisse grunts as she jumps over a log. "Then I'm going to resurrect them then kill them for making us trudge through the woods the whole night." She grumbles.

We walk in silence to the mound of rocks. The only words that are spoken are the occasional 'Do you think that is them?' then the groan of frustration when it's just another search party. This continues on several times that we don't even bother to check if they people we see are Annabeth and Percy. We just know that they aren't them.

"Percy! Annabeth!" Tyson shouts. His voice is different from the other bored calls and it sounds like he found something. Without saying a word, Clarisse, Ava, and I run towards them to see Percy and Annabeth climbing out of a hole on Zeus's Fist.

Clarisse glowers at them. "Where have you been?" She demands while looking very close to running Percy through with her spear. Her hands tighten around the weapon. The veins in her hands stick out.

"We have been looking for you guys forever. We all spent half the night walking around the woods!" I say. Several other of my fellow campers nod in agreement.

"But we have only been gone for a few minutes." Percy comments. He glances back at the hole in the rock in confusion.

Tyson rushes towards his brother. "Are you okay?" He asks. He's covered head to toe in mud.

Percy shrugs. He glances at Annabeth before speaking. "We're fine, just fell in a hole."

Everyone glances at him skeptically before shifting their eyes to Annabeth who will give us a clear answer. Percy seems somewhat insulted that we don't take his word. "Honest! Three scorpions came after us so we hid in the rocks. But I know we were only gone for a few minutes." He tells us sincerely.

Chiron frowns. "You've been gone for almost an hour." Clarisse and I share a look. It feels like we've walked around the woods for at least four. "The game has been over for a long time now."

"Time going by faster than it seems... a hole..." I whisper to myself. If this means what I think it means, then we just found an entrance to the Labyrinth.

Clarisse's eyes narrow. "A hole?" She asks slowly.

Annabeth takes in a deep breath. She glances at the other campers with wide eyes. "Chiron, Clarisse, Rina, I think we should talk about this somewhere else."

Clarisse and I gasp as our suspicions come true. My mouth falls open in shock. "You found it, didn't you?" I ask. Annabeth nods. I place a hand to my forehead. "Right here in camp. Right under our noses."

The dots connect in my head. If Luke knows about the entrance to camp, then we are in big trouble.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you everyone for your support! I appreciate each favorite/follow/review! Just you guys reading my story means a lot to me! Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>The campers disperse, all of them grumbling unhappily. It's no wonder that they're irritated about the amount of secrecy happening in the camp lately. Despite being upset of being kept in the dark, the other campers leave us be but only the gods know how many questions they will ask us in the morning. When the last people leave the surrounding woods, we can finally talk in secret. The only thing that will overhear is the occasional owl or nymph.<p>

"This explains a lot about what Luke is after." Clarisse comments. She sheaths her sword violently and cracks her knuckles as if she is expecting a fight. Clarisse leans back so that she has a clear view of the Labyrinth.

Percy holds up his hands. "Wait. What do you mean? What did Annabeth and I find?" His eyes search our faces for an answer.

Annabeth turns to him with dark eyes. The gloomy forest gives her a dramatic and gloomy expression. Shadows crawl down her face slowly. "We found an entrance into the Labyrinth."

We fall silent. The only sounds are the crickets in the grass.

"In other words, an invasion route straight into camp." I add quietly. I twist my hand nervously around the hilt of my sword.

Percy looks stunned for several seconds then he recovers with dead-set determination. He stares at the entrance with narrowed eyes. Percy has such a strong look of intensity that if I didn't know any better, then I would say that Kronos is standing right there and Percy is about to take him on. "Then what are we waiting for? Chiron, you have to make a quest for someone to stop him!" Percy exclaims.

Chiron shakes his head. He turns his back on the entrance to block our view with his large horse body. Chiron frowns deeply. "No, we should wait till the morning." He says cautiously.

I cross my arms and stare at the centaur. "We need to act _now_. Every second that we wait is another second that Luke is closer to what he wants." I say but Chiron doesn't seem swayed. He doesn't even take my words into consideration. His mind is already dead set.

"No." He says firmly. The look on his face dares anyone to try to argue with him. "We will wait till the morning when we will be well-rested. We will be in the right set of mind. It would be wisest to wait till then. I'm sure Annabeth can agree with that, being the Daughter of Athena."

Annabeth looks down at the grass in submission then nods. "I agree. We make better decisions after we are rested and had time to think about what we should do."

I open my mouth to disagree but I quickly close it. No matter how much I argue with them, neither Annabeth nor Chiron will ever back down. Chiron extends his arm. "Come, I will escort you all back to camp."

I take in a shaky breath then follow the Centaur back to camp. I'm sure that after everything that has happened, it will be impossible to fall asleep or even relax.

* * *

><p>Every cabin leaders, Argus, Quintus, Chiron, Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, Juniper, and I sit around each other in the sword arena. We sit at a table that was specially brought out for the meeting. Clarisse tries to hide her shaking hands in her lap, but I know she is still shaken up from her last time in the maze. She scowls at me when she sees me looking at her. Then she takes out a knife and twirls it around in her hand with such skill that only a Child of Ares can have.<p>

Percy runs in, a couple of minutes late. Clarisse hisses something under her breath. Insulting Percy and twirling her small blade seems to distract her because her hands aren't shaking as bad anymore. He takes a seat next to Argus and turns towards Clarisse, Annabeth, and I so that we can start the briefing.

I glue my arms to my sides, suddenly feeling nervous at the sudden attention. "As you all know, the entrance to the Labyrinth was found in the camp last night." I start. All eyes focus on me. It's very daunting considering that Argus alone has dozens of eyes. "We think that Kronos and his followers will use the entrance to attack camp. They would be able to get within the borders and stage a lethal attack."

Annabeth pounds her fist into her open palm. "Luke must know about the entrance. He knew everything about camp and he spent years here. That is the only way that they would know about the entrance is if Luke told them." Annabeth says. She clenches her fist every time she says Luke's name, but it's so unnoticeable that I doubt she even notices that she's doing it.

Juniper clears her throat to get everyone's attention. "The cave entrance has been there for a long time. As long as I can remember. Luke used to use it." She says with hate clear in her voice. Her face twists like she tasted something sour when she says Luke's name.

Silena frowns at the wood nymph. "You knew about the entrance and you didn't tell anyone?" Juniper's face turns a bright green; her equivalent of a blush.

"Silena..." I warn.

My sister scowls at me. Our relationship has been pretty rough ever since the incident with Ralph. "What? That is important information to keep back!" She defends herself. Silena crosses her arms defiantly.

Juniper looks down at her hands shamefully. "I didn't know it was important. I didn't even know it was the Labyrinth. It seemed like a cave. Just a yucky, gross, stinky cave." She wrinkles her nose in disgust. "I wouldn't have paid any attention to it if it wasn't for Luke." Juniper continues to blush so that she is almost as bright green as the plants in the rainforest. Grover pats Juniper's clasped hands affectionately.

Quintus runs a greasy rag over his sword, in a similar way that I always saw Ares cleaning his sword. He clicks his tongue. "Interesting. And you all truly believe that this man would use that Labyrinth as an invasion route?" He glances up at us momentarily then his eyes flicker back to his sword.

Clarisse nods confidently. She sticks her chin up a little higher than normal. "We are absolutely certain. If he could get an army of monsters through, to pop up in the woods of Camp Halfblood, then he could take out the entire camp! We wouldn't have a chance. This type of plan must've taken months of careful planning. He knows what he is doing." For a second it seems that Clarisse is impressed by the carefully crafted war plan, but she quickly covers it up.

Annabeth seems to approve of everything Clarisse is saying because she doesn't interrupt until she's done, something that Annabeth rarely does nowadays. "He has already sent some scouts into the maze. We know that for sure because," she falters slightly, "because we found one."

Clarisse's hands start to shake again under the table. The knife slips and she cuts her fingers. I want to tell her that everything is okay, and that the horrors of the maze are behind us, but that would just embarrass her to do that in front of everyone. Much like me, she doesn't want to look weak in front of anyone. And, it's also a lie. The horrors of the maze still live in the basement of the Big House. They still live in our minds.

"Chris Rodriguez." Chiron says. He gives Quintus a pointed look.

Quintus's face dawns with understanding. "Ahh yes... the one in the..." He pauses but the word is right on his lips. _Basement. The one in the basement_. Quintus nods. "Yes, yes I understand."

Percy looks at the sword instructor. "The one in the what?" He asks. Poor Percy is so out of the loop but there's no time to explain things to him now.

Clarisse glares at him. She clears her throat and steers the conversation in another direction. "The point is that Luke is trying to navigate the maze. He must be looking for Daedalus's workshop."

"The guy who made the maze." Percy fills in the blanks.

"Yes." Annabeth tells him. "He was the greatest architect, an extraordinary inventor. No, the greatest inventor of all time. If all the legends are true, then his workshop is in the center of the huge maze. He's the only person who knows how to maneuver the maze without error. If Luke finds the workshop and convinces Daedalus to help him, then he wouldn't have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing an army. He could go anywhere he wants to go - fast and safe." Her face pales. "First to Camp Halfblood... then Olympus."

There is a long moment of silence. Suddenly Charles places his large hands on the table with a loud clang. "Back up a sec. You're talking about finding Daedalus, but isn't he dead?" He asks.

Quintus grunts. "I would hope so. He lived about three thousand years ago. Even if somehow he is alive, don't the old stories say that he fled the Labyrinth?"

Chiron shuffles in his wheelchair. He sets his face to a stone cold expression. "That's the problem. No one really knows. There are rumors that Daedalus disappeared back into the Labyrinth near the end of his life. There is a chance that he is still there. But rumors can be unreliable information."

Annabeth places her hands firmly on the table. "We have to go. We have to find his workshop before Luke does. If Daedalus is alive, then we have to convince him to help us. If Ariadne's string does exist, then we have to make sure Luke never gets it."

"If there is a chance that we can stop him, then we have to do it." I say firmly. "_Even_ if it means going into the Labyrinth." Clarisse looks hands with furious concentration.

"Wait a second." Percy says. "If we're so worried about an attack, then why don't we just block the entrance? Maybe blow it up or something."

Clarisse glares at the Son of Poseidon again. "It's not that simple, idiot. Rina and I tried that at an entrance. It didn't go as well as we thought."

I nod. "It's a magical piece of architecture. It will take a lot of power to close just one of the entrances. Clarisse and I knocked down a building with a wrecking ball and the entrance just moved a couple of feet over. We tried everything we could think and it would just move." I tell everyone.

"We can't destroy it so the best we can do is stop Luke from learning how to navigate the maze." Annabeth says

Lee clenches up one fist. "We can fight. We know where the entrance is now so we could easily set up a defensive line. If any army comes through then we would be ready with explosives and bows."

Chiron nods in agreement, but he doesn't look confident in the plan. "We will set up defensives. That we will do. I'm afraid that Rina and Clarisse are right. If the monsters can get past the magical border, there is no telling what kind of damage they can do. But I fear that if they attack the camp through the Labyrinth, we will not be strong enough to defend ourselves."

"Chiron..." I start but then I realize he is right. There is no possible way that we will be able to hold off an entire army for long, no matter how much I don't want to admit it. We simply do not have enough people or weapons to fight against all the monsters that Luke would lead into battle.

There is a long silence until Annabeth breaks it. She tries to make her voice sounds as upbeat as possible, but after Chiron's confession, there isn't much hope in her words. "We have to find Daedalus's workshop first. We will also find Ariadne's string and keep it out of Luke's hands." Annabeth plans.

Percy looks up at her. "But nobody can really navigate the maze. What chance do we have?"

Annabeth narrows her eyes in a way that only a Daughter of Athena can do. "I've studied architecture for years. I know his maze better than anybody."

"From reading about it." Percy deadpans.

"Yes."

"From books." Percy states.

"How else would I read about it?" Annabeth snaps.

"That's not enough."

"It has to be!" Annabeth growls.

"It isn't!"

Annabeth places her hands on her hips. "Are you going to help me or not, Percy?"

They both blush when they realize that we are all staring at them. They were arguing like two people would play tennis.

Chiron clears his throat. He casts the two weary looks. "First things first. We need a quest. Someone must enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus, and prevent Luke from invading the camp."

Clarisse glances up at Annabeth. "We all know who should lead this. Annabeth." She says.

Annabeth has told me that she has wanted to lead a quest ever since she came to camp, but now she just looks uncomfortable. I'm sure she is thinking that she will lead us all to an early grave in an unconquerable maze. And that may be true, but she is more prepared for this quest than anyone. If anyone can navigate the maze, then I'm sure that the person is Annabeth.

I place a hand on her shoulder. "I agree. Annabeth knows the most about the Labyrinth so it would only make sense."

Annabeth looks over at Clarisse and me. "You two have done as much as I have. You guys should be the ones to go on this quest."

Clarisse shakes her head. Her mouth forms a frown and the knife in her hand slips again. This time it clatters to the ground. "I'm not going back there. I don't know about Rina, but I will not go down in that maze."

Travis lets out a piercing laugh. "Don't tell me that you're scared? Clarisse being a chicken? Someone get a camera." Travis says sarcastically.

Clarisse jumps out of her seat. I grab her arm just in case she has any ideas of attacking Travis. But someone should be holding be back because I am very close to doing it for her. Travis doesn't understand what it's like down there. The walls shift just to mess with your mind. Monsters and traps appear out of nowhere. It's madness if you stay down there too long.

Her hand shakes but she stops it with a clenched fist. "You don't understand! I'm never going back down there!" Clarisse turns to stomp away towards the Big House.

I glare at Travis who is looking very sheepish. "What is your problem? You have no idea what it's like down there. You weren't there." I snap. I take a deep breath to keep myself from lunging.

Travis's cheeks turn a light pink. His ears turn the colors of the strawberries in the fields. "I didn't mean-"

I point a finger violently towards him. "Until you have been down there yourself, then you have no right to make fun of someone for not wanting to return. I don't blame her and honestly I don't want to return either." I manage to sit back down, practically fuming. I look over at Quintus who is tense on the edge of his seat. He was ready to stop me from skinning Travis alive and I'm glad that someone was prepared to keep me from killing him.

Chiron glances over at me to make sure I have calmed down enough before continuing. "The poor girl has had a difficult year. Let's just leave it be. Now, do we all agree that Annabeth should lead this quest?"

Everyone nods enthusiastically. We are all unanimous in our agreement. Well, except for Quintus who just sits there, looking at the table.

Chiron turns towards Annabeth. Her face flushes with either excitement or fear. Maybe a mixture of both. From all the stories Clarisse and I told her, she must not be too keen on entering the maze either.

"My dear, it is your time to visit the oracle. Assuming you return to us in one piece, we will discuss what to do next." He tells her.

Annabeth walks briskly to the Big House and to the attic. I walk by her side since I know Clarisse is with Chris in the basement and I want to help her out as much as possible.

I look at her from the corner of my eye. "Don't be nervous, you will be fine." I try to sound as optimistic as possible.

Annabeth nods. "I know. I'm just nervous about what the oracle will say. She always seems to say something about death." She turns a little green at the last sentence. Her mouth twitches into a frown at the thought of someone dying while she is leading a quest.

I shake my head. "Maybe she won't this time. You'll be fine."

Suddenly she grabs my arm roughly and looks at me with wide eyes when we walk into the building. "I feel like a jerk for asking this, but will you come into the Labyrinth with me? I would feel so much better if there is someone who has experience with it along on the quest. You can be helpful. We can combine your first-hand experience with the maze and my knowledge about how it works." She looks so hopeful. I feel so guilty for even considering to say no.

I frown but my head moves into a nod despite the feelings of terror racing through my veins. My heart feels like it's pounding in my head and my limbs feel like they're stuffed with lead. All of the memories of the Labyrinth gush through the floodgate in my mind. The moving walls. Getting separated from Clarisse after she fell down a shallow well. All of the monsters... The room that nearly drove us to insanity... My mind drifts to a dark place, but Annabeth speaking again pulls me back.

She lets out a sigh of relief. Annabeth glances at the steps. "Thank you, Rina. You're a good friend. Well, the oracle is waiting." She climbs up the steps, stomping loudly as if to warn the oracle that she is coming.

I walk under the stairs where there is a door to the basement. The door opens with a loud squeak. A sliver of light pierces the almost pure darkness like a knife. Chris lets out a cry when the light hits him and he scurries away like a cockroach. Clarisse runs a hand through her tangled hair. Whenever she is around Chris, she looks ten years older. Her face sticks in an expression of a warrior that just saw her best friend die in combat.

"Jessica!" Chris screams when he sees me. He reaches his hand out to me then slaps it away like a fly with his other hand. "No! You're only an illusion. Like Mary!" He mutters to himself. Chris hugs his shoulders, tears dripping down his sunken in face. His lips tremble slightly, but it's hard to see since Chris prefers to be in the dark. The light scares him.

I shake my head. A feeling of despair washes over me at the sight of the broken boy. "I'm Rina, not Jessica. That's Clarisse not Mary." The words seem to pass right through him. They don't connect in his mind but I know he heard me. He just didn't _hear_ me.

Chris rocks back and forth. "It hurts, Mary. It hurts." He cries.

Clarisse holds out a bottle of nectar. "Try this. It will help." She pleads.

Chris shakes his head. "Why won't it stop? Why won't it stop?" He starts to pound on his head with his fists. Clarisse holds his wrists to keep Chris from hurting himself.

"Chris, we're only trying to help." I say softly. Chris sniffles and his eyes look right past me at the dark wall. His once bright eyes remain the same dull brown they have been ever since he escaped the maze.

Clarisse moves towards him but he crawls away. "It's going to be okay. Just try some nectar." She says soothingly but her voice cracks. Clarisse looks like she is close to tears herself.

Chris lets out another sob. "G-get away, Mary! You're just an illusion. Just an illusion." He mumbles to himself.

Clarisse shakes her head sadly. "My name's not Mary. It's Clarisse. Remember?"

Chris lets out a shriek of madness. "It's so dark! Too dark!"

I hold out my hand for him. "Come with us outside. The sun will help you, Chris." I try to coax him out. He stares at my hand for several seconds then back to Clarisse. His eyes move back to my hand again. When it looks like he is about to agree to come outside, he backs up to the wall and lets out another horrifying sob.

"A... A thousand skulls. The earth keeps healing him. Impossible. Impossible." He whispers to himself.

Clarisse wipes a stray tear from her eyes. "Please Chris. You have to get better. Just hold on till Mr. D gets here. He's good with things like madness."

His eyes roam everywhere. They don't stay in one spot for longer than a second. There isn't a single corner of the room that Chris doesn't look at. "There is no way out, Mary. Jessica is gone. Dead. She's gone but I still see her everywhere. Even the dead can't get out. We can't get out, Mary. So dark, so dark." Chris mutters. His hands claw at the dirt, as if he's trying to dig his way out of here. His nails are chipped and dirty from doing the same digging motion for several days.

I reach towards him and this time he doesn't back away. He closes his eyes and several tears come out. Suddenly he reaches forward and grips my hand so tight that I thought he would just rip it off of me. His eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. "Please take me out of here. Take me and Mary out of here. Bring us back. Bring us back! Why can't you hear me, Jessica? Take us with you!" He lets out a choked sob.

Chris looks up behind us. He lets go of my hand and tries to sink further into the wall. Chris cowers in the shadows, desperately trying to hide in its dark embrace. "The Son of Poseidon! He's horrible!" He screams.

"Please drink the nectar." Clarisse pleads, her voice becoming more urgent. "It will make you better. Please, Chris."

He eyes the bottle mysteriously. "Wha-what?"

Her eyes shine like a million lights. This is the first coherent response that Chris has made in a long time. "Drink the nectar, Chris."

"Nectar." He mumbles to himself. Chris takes it from her and sips from the bottle. Clarisse and I hold our breathes to see his next reaction. Suddenly Chris hurls the bottle across the room. It shatters on the opposite wall. He scratches his arms at an itch that isn't there. "Don't drink the water, Mary! Poison! Poison! We're dead! Black as ink, black as ink. It's not... It's not..." Chris sobs into his hands.

Clarisse turns towards me with hardened eyes. "Get out of here and see what the others are doing about the quest."

My eyes grow wide. "But-"

She shakes her head. "I can handle him. Go. You're needed."

Something in her eyes tell me not to disobey her. I listen and run up the stairs, leaving Chris and Clarisse behind me. Even when I'm upstairs, I can still hear his screams of terror.

* * *

><p>I stand next to Percy and Chiron as Annabeth comes out of the Big House. She looks terrified. Her hands are clasped to her side and she's as stiff as a robot. Whatever the oracle said, it clearly got to her. When she sees our curious glances, Annabeth straightens her back and sets her face into a stone-like expression.<p>

Annabeth glances over us all. "I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to go Daedalus's workshop."

Chiron scrapes his hoof against the dirt nervously. He may not say it but he is clearly nervous for her. "What did the prophecy say exactly? The wording is very important."

Annabeth takes in a deep breath. "_You shall delve into the darkness of the endless maze_." Annabeth pauses and we all wait patiently. She clenches her hands together to gather enough strength to continue. "_The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise_."

Grover perks up immediately. "The lost one! That must mean Pan! This is fantastic!" He exclaims. Grover is all but jumping up and down in excitement.

I frown. "The dead and the traitor doesn't sound as great." I say but that doesn't stop Grover from quivering in anticipation. Percy puts a steady hand on his shoulder to keep Grover from dancing the macarena, which nobody wants to see.

"And?" Chiron presses. "What is the rest, child?"

Annabeth's eyes flutter nervously. "_You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand. The child of Athena's final stand_." She finishes. Her voice shakes slightly but she keeps it in control.

We all stay quiet. Annabeth is the Daughter of Athena so it could mean that the prophecy is about her, but who knows? Prophecies can mean anything. They are never really clear until after it has come true. Even Apollo had trouble figuring out the meaning behind prophecies.

Silena looks at Annabeth uncomfortably. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions. Annabeth isn't the only Child of Athena, right?" This doesn't seem to help the situation much.

Charles takes Silena's hand. Silena blushes slightly but she doesn't say anything. Charles clears his throat. "Who is the ghost king?"

No one answers because no one knows the answer. Not even Chiron knows what to say. He just changes the subject. "Are there more lines? The prophecy doesn't sound complete."

Annabeth hesitates to tell us. "I don't really remember." Chiron raises an eyebrow. Everyone is skeptical that Annabeth doesn't remember the last line. She would never, ever forget something that is this important. Annabeth shifts around in her spot. "Something about _Destroy with a hero's last final breath._" Annabeth tells us hesitantly. Her hands curl the edges of her camp t-shirt.

"And?" Chiron insists.

Annabeth shakes her head. "That point is that I have to go in and find the workshop. And... I need help. I already asked Rina and she accepted."

Silena shakes her head. "Silena is still in trouble for what happened to Ralph." She states angrily but her eyes are full of worry.

Annabeth gives Silena a glare so strong that it can melt anyone into a puddle. "I need her. She has experience with the maze. She is very, _very_ important to the quest."

Chiron clears his throat. "I'm sure we can make an exception this one time, however, Rina will be expected to return with her punishment after she comes back."

Silena's mouth falls open in shock that Chiron would bend the rules like that. And honestly, I'm surprised too! She mumbles something under her breath about it being dangerous and things like that, but she doesn't say anything else to anyone.

Annabeth turns to Percy. "Will you come?"

Percy answers without hesitation. "I'm in."

Annabeth smiles in relief. She turns towards Grover. "You too? The God of the Wild is waiting."

Grover jumps up and down. "I'll pack extra recyclables! Pan, here I come!"

Annabeth's smile grows wider. She turns towards Tyson. "I need you too. Will you come, Tyson?"

Tyson's mouth turns into an enormous grin. "Yay! Blow-up things time!" He claps his hands so loud that it sounds like thunder.

Chiron frowns. He stares at Annabeth with unblinking eyes. "That is five."

Annabeth nods. "I know."

Chiron swishes his tail violently, nearly hitting Grover in the face. "My dear, that is against ancient laws. You are only allowed two companions."

She shakes her head. "I need all of them. Chiron, it's really important."

His mouth forms a terrible frown and he stomps his hooves in the dirt. "Annabeth, consider well. You would be breaking ancient laws and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest and three came back. Three is a very sacred number. There are three fates, three furies, three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a very strong number. Four is risky... but five? That's too much danger. I don't know if I can allow you to place yourself in that situation."

She takes in a deep breath but she isn't swayed by his words. Annabeth has made up her mind a long time ago. And when she makes up her mind, there is no one on earth who can change it. "I know but we have to. Please, Chiron."

Quintus examines each of us with narrowed eyes. Almost as if he's placing bets on who will return or not. Chiron sighs but I can see the reluctance in his eyes. "Very well. We are adjourned. The members of the quest must have time to prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, you will be sent into the Labyrinth."

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><p>I pack everything that I can think of. Extra food, Blankets, my sword, several daggers, my flashlight, and a lot of water. Thanks to Athena, I can fit everything in the small purse with tons of room to spare.<p>

"Knock, knock." Silena says. I see her standing by the entrance to the cabin. She walks in and sits next to me on my bed. Her blue eyes watch my every movement careful.

"Hey, Silena." I mumble. With one hand I stuff the wool blanket from my bed in the purse.

Silena continues to watch my every move. Oddly enough, she looks incredibly guilty. Then suddenly, she engulfs me in a huge hug. I don't respond at first because I am startled, but I eventually realize what is happening and hug her back. "Don't get yourself killed, alright?" She mumbles into my hair. Her arms tighten around me like a child would hug a teddy bear.

"I won't." I tell her, but it comes out breathy since she is squishing me.

Silena pulls away from me slightly. Enough so that I can see her face, but not enough so that we aren't hugging. "I'm serious. I don't want to lose my sister. You better come back otherwise I will personally go down into the Underworld and drag your soul back to camp." Silena threatens.

I let out a laugh. Silena soon joins me.

"I promise that nothing bad will happen." I say.

Silena raises an eyebrow. "You're going to the Labyrinth. Of course something bad is going to happen. I don't care if you come back like Chris with jelly instead of a brain or with no arms or legs. Or even if you become more robot than human because of a tragic accident. As long as you come back." She says quietly.

I manage to crack a smile. "Don't worry, Silena. I will come back."

She sighs. "Just... be safe. I don't know exactly what happened to you when you went into the Labyrinth with Clarisse, but I know that it messed you up. I _really_ hope that the same thing doesn't happen again."

I shake my head. "It's different now."

Her eyebrows come together. "No, it's not. Yes, you're much more prepared but you're still as unaware of what is going to happen as last time. At least now you have food and water."

As much as I want to tell her that we are aware of what is going to happen, of course it would be a lie. The maze is unpredictable. Nobody, not even Annabeth, can prepare themselves for what is waiting in the Labyrinth. All I can hope is for all of us to get out with a beating heart, but even that cannot be guaranteed.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! And don't worry, you're find out the exact details of what happened to Clarisse and Rina later on. Please reviewfavorite/follow!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for showing your support for this fanfiction! I'm so happy whenever someone favorites/reviews/follows!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series or any of its characters. I just own Ava, Rina, and Tyler.**

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><p>Ava gives me another bone-crushing hug. It is amazing how such a small girl is so strong!<p>

She pulls away from me. "The minute you get back I'm going to take you out on a canoe ride so we can get rid of the sea monster in the lake! It took a lot of convincing but the Apollo cabin has agreed to stay away from it until you get back." She exclaims.

I laugh. "No, you guys take care of it. Who knows when I will get back?"

Her smile falters slightly. "You know you're pretty much my only friend, besides my siblings but they're my siblings so they don't count. And if you don't come back..." She blinks hard several times. Ava then turns away and wipes her eyes furiously. "Eyelash in my eye." She mumbles under her breath.

My mouth falls into a frown. "I'm not planning to stay down in the Labyrinth. I'll come back. Don't worry, Avalanche."

Ava smirks. "I know, Bean. When you come back, be ready the hardest, biggest, most bone-breaking hug that there has ever been."

I fight back a laugh, but fail. "I'll see you in a week or so."

"See ya." She says. Ava waves half-heartedly then leaves to practice sword fighting with her siblings. She doesn't stick around long enough to see me go down in the Labyrinth.

I walk over to Annabeth who is double checking on the supplies in her pack. She smacks her sleeping roll, trying to force it in the bag. I lean over and help her stuff it in. After several seconds of pushing, it finally fits in the bag.

Annabeth wipes her forehead that is beginning to sweat from the heat and the work out it took to stuff her sleeping bag in the pack. "Thanks." She breathes out. "I've been trying to get that in the bag for forever."

I raise an eyebrow at the oversized pack. "Isn't that a little much?"

She shrugs. "You can never be too prepared. What are you bringing?" I hold up my purse and Annabeth looks at me oddly. I open it up so that she can see the cans of food, dozens of books, several weapons, and piles of clothes. "Impressive." She comments. Annabeth eyes my bag, trying to figure out what exactly makes it that way.

Clarisse looks down at us. We both stand at the same time. Clarisse's arms are plastered to her sides and she keeps eyeing the entrance of the Labyrinth with weary eyes. "Be careful. Don't underestimate the maze." Clarisse tells us.

Annabeth shakes her head. "I won't." Her chin lifts slightly in confidence.

Clarisse opens her mouth to say something but then snaps it shut.

Annabeth narrows her eyes. "What were you going to say?"

Clarisse lets out a sigh. "You're really smart, Annabeth. But your problem is that you think you know everything about the maze." Her face turns a sickly white. "Don't let it know what your plan is. It will purposefully mess everything up for you. You can never really understand until you are down there yourself." Clarisse turns sharply on her heels, not bothering to give us a proper goodbye or a wave.

"That was weird. Clarisse has never complimented me." Annabeth says to herself, more confused by the compliment than Clarisse's advice.

My heart beats slightly faster at the thought of the maze messing around with us. "She's worried about the maze and honestly, so am I. You'll see what it's like soon enough." I reply quietly.

Percy and Tyson walk over to us. Annabeth smiles at Percy and I feel the same warm ember that I felt before. It takes every ounce of my strength to keep myself from bouncing up and down and chant 'Percy and Annabeth sitting in a tree...'. She stares at his face then frowns in disapproval. "You look terrible, Percy." She observes. There are bags under Percy's eyes that show that he barely got any sleep. His face is slack like a college student that just went to a mind-numbing lecture.

Tyson leans forward. "He killed the fountain last night."

Annabeth and I give him an odd look. Before Percy could explain, Chiron trots over.

"Well, it appears that you all are ready." He says with a chipper voice but underneath his optimistic mask is worry. I can see through it immediately. My faith in us completing our quest alive gradually goes down at the fact that Chiron thinks that he is seeing us for the last time. Also, my past experiences with the maze make it particularly difficult to be optimistic. In fact, I already gave Drew a design of what I want my burial shroud to look like if I never return. It's not like Drew is nice to me, but she seems happy enough to hold onto the small drawing and is most likely looking forward to making the shroud.

Percy claps his hands together. "Hey, uh, Chiron. Can you do a favor for me while I'm gone?"

Chiron nods a tad too enthusiastically. "Of course."

Percy gives us a look that screams 'sorry, you can't know this mysterious thing I'm about to talk about'. "Be right back, guys." He walks off into the woods with Chiron following close behind.

Juniper lets out a loud cry then collapses on to Grover. So far she has been strong for Grover's sake, but it was only a matter of time before she broke down. Grover whispers things in her ear to calm her down but the tears keep flowing. She backs off of his and straightens his clothes with small beads of water dripping down her cheeks.

Juniper dabs a green tear with a handkerchief embroidered with satyrs dancing. One of them looks suspiciously like Grover. "I'm sorry, just getting emotional. Silly me." Her voice shakes from her sobs.

"It's okay, Juniper. I'm sure you're worried but Grover will be fine." I tell her.

She sniffles. "Yes I really am, but my Grover will find Pan. I know he will. And when he gets back, I will bake the best pie made from fresh-cut grass and tin cans just for my brave satyr."

Grover blushes. I hear his stomach rumble at the mention of the pie. "We don't know if we will find Pan. We don't even know if he's down there." Grover shuffles his hooves in the dirt.

Juniper slaps his arm, which makes Grover yelp. She jabs a finger towards her boyfriend. "Hush! If anyone can find Pan, God of the Wild, it is you! I have faith in you." By now her tears are gone and replaced with pure pride. She leans up to kiss him on the cheek, which only deepens Grover's blush.

Annabeth narrows her eyes at Percy and Chiron. "What's taking them so long? We have to go. The faster we get in the maze, the faster we find Daedalus's workshop." She walks over to them, says something to Percy, then walks back with Percy right behind her.

Chiron steps towards us. "Take care and good hunting."

Percy nods. "You too."

Grover's legs shake at the entrance of the labyrinth and I would be lying if I said mine aren't too. He gazes up at the sky. "Goodbye sunshine."

Tyson looks down. "Hello rocks."

With Annabeth leading the way, we enter the Labyrinth. A lump catches in my throat at the darkness. With desperate, frantic movements, I take out the flashlight Apollo gave me. The lump doesn't go away even though the hallway is lit up.

Annabeth looks at it in amazement. "Is that... a bottled up ray of sunshine?" She asks. I nod. Annabeth tosses her flashlight back in her pack. "Guess we don't need these anymore. That will light the way just fine. Can I have it since I will be leading us?"

I hesitantly give it to her. It's not that I don't trust her, it's that it was a gift and I would feel better holding it. It's my life line and source of light: I feel like it's the only connection to the world above.

Annabeth reaches for the bottom dial. "Don't!" I exclaim. "If you turn it too bright then you can blind us all."

Her cheeks turn a light pink at her almost fatal mistake. Annabeth straightens her back. "Well, let's get going."

We walk a hundred feet before the walls turn to a sewer-like system with iron portholes every so often. Even Apollo's light cannot light the whole Labyrinth. Up ahead it's just a black hole. No light gets in. I shudder at what sounds like small screams echoing off the walls. Chris's words echo in my mind. _Even the dead can't escape_. This is too much like the time I went into the Labyrinth with Clarisse.

I feel a large hand on my shoulder. I look behind me to see Tyson staring at me with an unblinking eye. "You okay? You're shivering."

I look at my hands to see them shaking. To stop the sign of weakness, I clench one around my sword and the other around the strap of my purse. I raise my chin slightly. "I'm fine." I manage to croak out with a steady voice. How I managed that, I don't know.

Annabeth turns around and looks at me. A flash of guilt washes over her face. "Do you want to go back? Maybe we can..." She pauses and her grey eyes grow wide. I don't have to turn around to know that the hallways shifted because of her very words. There is no chance that I can leave now. I must keep pressing on with the group.

I shake my head. "No and it's too late anyways. No point in going back. The entrance already moved. And even if it didn't, I said I would go on this quest with you so I'm not turning back."

"That's impossible." Annabeth snips. "But if you say so, then let's keep going." She casts me one last wary look before facing forward. Annabeth runs her hand along the left wall. "If we keep one hand on the left wall and follow it, we should find our way out again by reverse coursing."

"That's not going to work." I quip, remembering how the walls move every time Clarisse and I would decide on a way to go. The maze purposefully works against you.

She glares at me. "Yes it should. Why wouldn't..." Annabeth pauses. The room shift into a large circular room with eight tunnels. None of us have any clue which way to go from here.

Grover shifts his eyes over the tunnels. "Ummm... guys? Which way did we come in?"

Annabeth thinks for several moments. "Just turn around." She says bluntly.

I stay in my spot like a statue while the others turn around. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic or I'm just too familiar with the maze, but you can't just turn around in a place like this. Not soon after they all are arguing about which tunnel to go down. After several minutes of harsh words, the rest join me to decide our next move.

Tyson pouts. "Left walls are mean. Which way now?"

She holds out my flashlight and peers into the different tunnels. Annabeth can see a little into each so that she has an idea of what is coming but it's not enough to make a good decision. She points towards one tunnel confidently. "That one."

Percy blinks once at her. "How do you know?" He asks.

Annabeth shrugs. "Deductive reasoning."

"So... you're guessing?" Percy presses.

Annabeth walks past him and into the tunnel. "Just come on, Seaweed Brain."

The tunnel we went down narrows very quickly. The walls turned to a gray cement color that makes it seem like a bomb shelter. It becomes so narrow that Tyson has to crawl! I turn to my side so that I can shuffle along the hallway faster.

Grover's heavy breathing is the only noise in the Labyrinth. It sounds like he's going to pass out at any second and that really worries me. "How long has it been?" He gasps. Grover clutches at his chest. "I can't stand it anymore!" He pounds his hands on the surrounding walls.

Annabeth sighs. "It's been only five minutes."

Grover continues to hyperventilate. "It has to be longer than that! Definitely more than five minutes. And why would Pan be down here? This isn't exactly the wild."

I shrug. "Well who knows what's down here? Maybe there's a little piece of the wild in the Labyrinth. There seems to be everything down here."

He sucks in a deep breath. "I don't see any wild."

I roll my eyes. For a second the dread of being here washes away. "Like Annabeth said, we've only been down here for five minutes. I bet that if Pan is down here, then it is because the wild is down here."

The tunnel becomes to fan out. Soon it is wide enough that Tyson can walk normally and we can breathe freely. Grover stops hyperventilating, luckily for him. He was beginning to turn redder than the strawberries in the fields at Camp Halfblood.

We enter a room covered in mosaic tiles cut in random sizes. The pictures on the walls are faded but I can still make out the Olympians having a feast that looks so tempting, even though it is only a picture. They are all there, but they go by different names. These are Roman mosaics. In the middle of the room in a fountain. Inside it is dirt and rust, but it looks like it used to be beautiful. I sit on the side of it and eat a granola bar while Annabeth decides our next course of action. Percy sits next to me and watches Annabeth pace in front of us. Tyson and Grover sit on the opposite sides of Percy and me.

Percy looks at the mosaic with wide eyes. "What is this place? It looks-"

"Roman." Annabeth interrupts. She points up at the pictures. "Those mosaics are probably two thousand years old."

"But how can they be Romans?" Percy asks.

Annabeth sits down next to Grover. "The Labyrinth is a patchwork. It's the only piece of architecture that can grow by itself. It always is adding new pieces and expanding."

Percy smirks. "You make it sound like it's alive."

A loud groan comes from the tunnel in front of us. We all share a look of pure terror. Me more than the others. I already have my sword out and the idea of death on the edge of my thoughts.

"How about we don't talk about is being alive, okay?" Grover pleads. His hands shake slightly in his lap.

She nods once. "Let's keep moving forward." She walks towards the tunnel that the mysterious sound came from.

Tyson plays with the end of his shirt. "Down the hallway with the bad sounds?" He asks. His eye twitches.

"Yeah." Annabeth says. She lifts her chin defiantly. "The architecture is getting older and that's a very good sign. Daedalus's workshop will be in the oldest part of the maze."

"That makes sense." I agree, mostly because I have no other ideas. My hand tightens around the hilt of my sword. "But I really hate the idea of going down that tunnel."

"Of course it does and there's no other choice. Now, keep an eye out for whatever made that sound." She turns on her heels and walks toward the tunnels. We are forced to go after her unless we want to become separated, which is the last thing any of us want.

Grover shakes his head violently. "I agree with you, Rina. I hate the idea of going down this tunnel too." He trips on a stick that happened to be in the middle of the tunnel. Grover yelps and falls flat on his face. Annabeth hushes him and continues to press on. Percy and Tyson help him up so that we can continue going down the scary tunnel.

As if the maze is doing this on purpose to mess with us, the walls progressively get more recent. The tunnel turns back to cement and there is spray paint on the walls.

Percy points towards to neon green letters that spell 'MOZ RULZ' in huge letters. "I don't think that this is Roman."

Annabeth looks at the spray paint. For a second she looks confused and distraught, but quickly hides it behind a stern face that the goddess Athena has. She turns around to continue going down the tunnel, not bothering to pay attention to the spray paint and occasional neon signs.

From that point on, the ground changes from cement, brick, dirt, then back to cement. It's purposefully looking old then suddenly becoming something in a modern subway. I can tell that it's frustrating everyone, not just Annabeth.

She stops suddenly. Everyone else stops and grabs their weapons, unsure why she stopped. I look past her to see a man in a white uniform with glass bottles next to him. Or what used to be a man.

"A milkman." Annabeth mutters.

Percy looks at her. "What?"

"They used to deliver milk to people." I answer.

He frowns. "Yeah, I know what they are but that was like... a million years ago. I think they were around when my mom was little. The question is why is he here?"

Annabeth rattles the glass bottles with her foot. "Some people wander into here by mistake. Some come here on purpose. A long time ago the Cretan people sent people in here for sacrifices. Fascinating stuff, really. Their history is amazing."

"Yeah, fascinating." Grover says sarcastically. He gulps loudly. I turn to see his eyes fixed on the fragile finger bones digging into the wall with small grooves in the stone. The poor man tried to claw his way out of here. "Looks like he was here for a long time."

Tyson shakes his head. "Only bones, goat boy. The milkman is dead."

Grover wrinkles his nose. "The milkman isn't what bothers me. It smells like monsters. A lot of monsters. Can't you smell it too?"

Tyson nods gravely. "A ton of monsters but underground smells like monsters. Monsters and dead milk people."

Grover lets out a whimper. "Oh, that's great. I was hoping that I was wrong."

"It feels like monsters too." I clutch my shirt to myself. Tyson and Grover look at me with a confused expression. I shake my head. "I can't explain it but it feels like a build-up in my stomach. It's a bad feeling." I dig my fist into my gut to try to make the spring-like feeling disappear.

Percy's face grows white. "I feel it too. It's like a jack-in-the-box. Eventually we are going to run into some monster and I really am not looking forward to it."

Annabeth turns towards us. She seems less confident than before. "Maybe we won't run into any monsters for a while. We have to keep moving and get deeper into the maze. There has to be a way to the center."

She guides us through many hallways. All of them looking and feeling different. After a long time of walking, we just end up in the room with the dirty fountain and old mosaics.

There is a person in the middle of the room. Or two people. I don't know which he would prefer. Two faces jut out of his head on two different sides. He leans against the fountain with crossed arms. His face forms a gruesome smile when he sees us.

The left face looks straight at Annabeth. "Well, hurry up Annabeth! Come this way." He gestures a direction with his hand. It's veiny and pale. Disgusting.

His right face scowls. "Don't listen to him. He's _terribly_ rude. Come right this way, miss." Then he gestures in a completely different direction.

Her jaw drops. "Um... I don't... what?" Our hands fall to our weapons. None of us are sure whether we should be trying to kill this mystery person or not.

Tyson frowns at the man. "The funny man has two faces." He says but it sounds more like a question. Tyson leans forward to get a better look.

Both of the faces glare at the cyclops. "The funny man has ears, you know? No respect." He mutters. He walks towards us with a stride as long as a giraffe's. His face turns so that all we see is the left side. "Now, come along." He says with a smirk.

The head turns rapidly so that the right side is facing us. "No, no. Please talk to me." He gestures towards two doors behind him. He wants them to choose. It's Janus. A minor god, but a god no less. The God of Choices. I met him three years ago but he looked much different then. He looked less creepy and more like a kind, old man. Now he looks like a serial killer trying to convince someone to get into his van.

"I know who you are." I narrow my eyes at him.

Both of the faces frown. "That's just swell, but we aren't talking to you, Rina." He waggles his finger at me. "Don't speak when not spoken to, young child. However we will discuss my little debt very shortly after I speak to dear Annabeth." I scowl at the god. _Of course_ he would mention it. Three years ago, Hera accused Janus of hitting on her, which he was. Zeus was furious and was about to burn all the doors in Olympus just to spite him. I came to Janus's precious 'babies' aide and convinced Zeus that burning all the doors was a horrible idea. It would lead to a complete lack of privacy and burning all the doors would just make Janus resentful. Janus has been in my debt since then, but here's the thing. He hates being in debt to people so he has been trying to get me to use up the one favor ever since. He used to just send letters begging me to ask him to do something. But then it escalated to him putting commercials on shows that he knows I will be watching to slamming doors angrily in my face.

Annabeth looks behind us then turns back. Distress is clear on her face. "The exits are closed."

His left face whirls into our view. "Well... Duh!"

Annabeth crosses her arms. She gestures to the two doors. "So, where do they lead?"

The right face smiles at us. It would be almost comforting if he didn't have two faces and if we weren't in the Labyrinth and if he didn't look so creepy. Plus he has a piece of broccoli between his teeth. "Glad you asked! One leads the way you all wish to go. The other is certain death. So delightful."

A sudden realization comes over her face. "I know who you are too."

The left face turns towards us with a sneer. "Oh, you're smart! Just so precious, thinking you know everything. But why don't you just choose one? I don't have all day."

"Stop trying to confuse her, Janus!" I blurt out.

Both of his faces smile hugely. "Was that a request? One that can perhaps pay off a god's debt?"

My lips curl up in distrust. "No but-"

He holds up his hand to silence me. "If you're not talking about the debt then I don't want to speak to you, ischyró éna. This is between dear Annabeth and me." I huff angrily.

Annabeth shakes her head. "Why do you do this?"

The left face bats his eyelashes innocently. "Do what?"

"Try to confuse me!" She cries out. Her voice echoes throughout the room.

The right face gives her a grisly smile. "You're in charge now, my dear Annabeth. All the decisions are on your shoulders. That's what you wanted, isn't it? To be in charge?"

Annabeth pauses. "I-" Before she can say any more, Janus interrupts her.

"We know you. We know what you wrestle with every single day. From the time you wake up to when you go to bed. We know all about your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later, and that choice may very well kill you." The left face says.

The color quickly drains out of Annabeth's face like sand washes away in the waves.

"You don't have to make a choice alone. We can make it together." I tell her.

The man tsks me. "Once again, you aren't involved in this conversation so keep your little mouth shut."

She stares at Janus with wide eyes. "I don't... No..."

Percy places a hand on his pen. Maybe Janus knows this, or maybe not, but Percy is ready to defend us with Riptide. Not that it would do much against the god. "Leave her alone! Who are you, anyways?" He exclaims.

Both of the faces sneer at him. "I'm your best friend." The first face chants with a frown that doesn't match the tone of voice.

"I'm your worst enemy." The second one growls.

"I'm Janus!" Both of the faces say together with an almost harmonic tune. "God of Doorways, Beginnings, Endings, and Choices." He muses.

The right face looks at Percy oddly. "We'll be seeing you soon enough Perseus Jackson. Perhaps we will see Aikarina also. Hopefully to discuss the _debt_." He looks at me out of the corner of his eyes. "But now it's Annabeth's turn." He laughs like a little child. "Such fun!"

The left face turns towards us. "Shut up!" He hisses. "This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your entire life. Not only could it kill you, but all of your friends! No pressure! Choose!"

Percy looks at Annabeth but she doesn't look back. Her eyes are glued to the two doors, trying to figure out which one is the safe way. "Don't do it." He blurts out.

The right face giggles. "I'm afraid she has to."

She moistens her lips and clenches her hands. "I... choose..."

Before Annabeth could choose a door that would lead to life or death, a bright light fills the room. I cover my eyes to shield myself from the rays. When it dies down, there is a woman sitting on the fountain. She's wearing an elegant gown on and her dark brown hair is tied up in a tight bun with a gold ribbon.

"Queen Hera!" I whisper under my breath, recognizing her immediately.

She smiles at me with a smile as sweet as candy. A feeling of relief washes over me. Nothing bad can happen with Hera with us. "Hello, my dear Aikarina." She smiles at Janus with the same kind smile. "Causing trouble again, Janus?"

The right face stares at her with wide, almost fearful eyes. "No, no of course not milady!"

"Yes!" The left face says.

The right face scowls. "Shut up!"

Hera raises a perfect eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Not you milady! I was only talking to myself!" The right face corrects frantically.

Hera nods. "I see. You know very well that your visit is early. The poor girl's time has not yet come, you know that as well as I. So I give _you_ a choice, Janus. Leave the heroes or I shall turn you into a door and break you down." Her eyes flash dangerously at the minor god.

The left face looks at the goddess thoughtfully. "What kind of door?"

The right face frowns. "Shut up!"

The left face completely ignores his other side. "Well, you see, French Doors are rather nice. Lots of natural light." He muses to himself.

"Shut up! Not you, milady. Of course not. I will leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Completely harmless. Doing my job. Offering choices." The right face stutters out.

Hera raises a finger. "Not completely harmless. You were causing indecision. Now, be gone!" She waves her hand at them.

The man grumbles something to himself, twists a silver key in an invisible keyhole and a doorway of light appears. He turns back and glares at me. "But what about my debt to-"

Hera hushes him. "Enough, Janus! Leave!"

One of his faces sticks his tongue out at me. "Beware, Aikarina. I will make a door appear that you never want to see again. _Then_ you'll be begging for me to help you."

"Janus!" Hera warns. Her eyes flash dangerously.

Janus bows his head. "Sorry, milady. I'm leaving now." The god steps into the doorway of light. It collapses around him and everything is as it was.

Hera smiles at us. Her teeth practically glow in the dim light. "You must be hungry. Oh, Aikarina, I have been dying to meet your friends." She muses. With a wave of the hand, she makes the fountain spurt water again and a marble table with plates of food appear in the middle of the room. The smell of vanilla fills the room mixed with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"Who are you?" Percy asks.

Hera smiles again. "I'm Hera. Queen of Heaven" She gestures towards the table. "Now, join me."

We sit next to her around the table. I didn't realize how hungry I was before I saw the food. Immediately I pile my plate with peanut butter sandwiches and pour a glass of lemonade.

Hera faces me slowly. "Now tell me dear all about that silly prophecy your mother gave to you. I'm incredibly curious about who this 'great love' will be."

Annabeth's eyebrows come together. "Great love?" She questions. Hera hushes her with an unnatural amount of force. The goddess leans towards me in anticipation. A deep seeded feeling of guilt washes over me because I know about as much as her.

I set my food back down on my plate. "I really wish I know. Apollo and Aphrodite are keeping everything from me."

Her mouth forms a slight frown. "Shame. It would be fascinating to know what your mother has in store for you." She lets out a dry laugh. "She is all about silly, tragic love stories. Always have. Always will. Hopefully she hasn't designed such a terrible fate like she has for so many others." Hera looks at all of us with calculating eyes. "Grover, dear. Use your napkin, don't eat it." Hera says softly. She pours him another glass of lemonade.

Grover blushes and sets the ripped up napkin back on the table. "Yes ma'am." He says. Grover takes a bite out of his sandwich, but I think that he would prefer the napkin.

Hera holds out the plate of sandwiches. "Tyson, you're wasting away. Would you like another sandwich?"

Tyson eye grows wide. He stiffens in his chair but takes several more sandwiches. "Yes, nice lady."

Annabeth swallows a piece of her sandwich. "Queen Hera, I can't believe that you're here. Why are you in the Labyrinth?" She asks. Thankfully she decided not to ask anything about the small conversation with Hera.

The goddess smiles. She raises her fingers, as if to snap, then decides against it. "My dear, can you please take care of your friend. She's absolutely messy." I move my hand hesitantly towards Annabeth. The only person I have done my abilities in front of is Nico. I'm not sure if they will react the same way. Hera smile falters. "Well, hurry up."

I place my hand on Annabeth's arm and focus my power to her. The dirt runs off her like raindrops runs off a roof. Her hair straightens itself to a side braid. Each strand of hair is on point. Annabeth looks at me in amazement, along with Percy, Grover, and Tyson. I retract my hand and set it in my lap. I refuse to make eye-contact with anyone.

"Much better. To answer your question, I came to see you. Naturally." Hera answers.

Annabeth's mouth falls open. "I didn't... I didn't think that you liked heroes."

Hera laughs, but it sounds forced. "Because of that one little spat with Hercules? Honestly I get such bad press for one tiny disagreement."

I try to motion Annabeth to stop pressing the issue, but she just ignores me. "Didn't you try to kill him many times?"

Hera waves her hand. Her face has a nice smile but it's wearing thin. "Just water under the bridge, child. Besides he was a child of my _loving _husband with _another_ woman. I'll admit that my patience wore thin. I'm sure you understand. I know that Aikarina does."

I nod but inside I feel completely terrified that Hera is going to drop-kick Annabeth out of the room if she talks about Hercules any more. She almost did that to me once when I was young and curious. Luckily for me, she didn't want to chance staining the floors with my blood.

Her smile grows. "See? But Zeus and I had some wonderful marriage counseling sessions, since then to get back on the right track. We've both aired our feelings and came to an agreement. Especially after the last disagreement."

"You mean Thalia?" Percy says through a bite of peanut butter sandwiches. I kick him under the table but it's too late. The damage is done.

Her smile drops and Hera's eyes turn icy cold. All the kindness she showed before is gone. "Perseus Jackson, isn't it? Or should I say Percy? One of Poseidon's... children." Her lips curl in disgust. "As I recall, I voted for you to live. I hope that I made the right choice." She shifts her gaze to me. Hera rests a hand on my hand, but her face is still icy cold. "And I also recall that I voted for you to live. I would very much appreciate it if you made sure Percy knows his place when talking to a goddess."

I nod. "Yes, Queen Hera." I say knowing that Hera's patience can only stretch so far, and it's not a long distance.

Her face morphs back into a happy expression again. She looks at Annabeth with eyes as warm as the summer. "I certainly bear no ill will towards you, my dear. I appreciate the difficulty you're facing on this quest. Especially when there are trouble makers like Janus to deal with."

Annabeth lowers her gaze to the table. "Why was he here? He was driving me crazy by having me make a choice."

Hera smiles sadly. "You have to understand that the minor gods, like Janus, have always disliked what small part they play in the decisions in Olympus. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus. That could make it very easy to sway them to support the rise of my father." I just remember that Kronos is her father, along with several other gods. It's really strange when you think about it. "We must watch the other gods. Janus, Hecate, Morpheus, and others swear lip service to Olympus and yet-"

"That's where Dionysus went." Percy interrupts. I kick him under the table, causing him to flinch. Hera glares at him for interrupting her. Percy clears his throat. "He went to check on the minor gods. Is that right, Queen Hera?"

She tears her icy glare off of Percy and back to Annabeth. "You are correct. You see, in times of trouble, even the gods can lose faith. They put their trust in something truly evil and wrong things. They stop looking at the big picture and are terribly selfish. But I'm the Goddess of Marriage so I'm used to perseverance. You have to rise above the chaos and fighting and just believe. You always have to keep your goals in mind."

Annabeth looks at the goddess thoughtfully. "And what are your goals?"

Hera grins, pleased that she asked. "To keep my family, the Olympians, together. At the moment, the best I can do is to help you. Zeus does not let me interfere as much as I would like to, I'm afraid. But every other century or so, when there is a quest that I am deeply invested in, he allows me to grant a wish."

"A wish?"

Hera holds up her hand. "Before you ask, I will give you some advice which is free. I know you seek for Daedalus. This Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you truly want to know his fate, then visit my son, Hephaestus in one of his forges. There was never a mortal that my son admired more. Daedalus was such an amazing inventor, so how could he not? If anyone has kept up with the fate of Daedalus, then it is Hephaestus."

Annabeth leans forward. "But how do we get there? My wish is to know how to navigate the maze."

Hera's grin falls. She's disappointed. The goddess claps her hands together. "So be it. However, you wish for something that you already have."

Annabeth shakes her head. "I don't understand."

"The means is already in your grasp." Hera tells us. She looks at Percy. "Percy already knows the answer."

He looks at the goddess in shock. A bit of his sandwich falls out of his mouth. "I do?"

"But that's not fair!" Annabeth complains. "You're not telling me what it is!"

Hera shakes her head slowly. "Getting something and having the wits to use it are two entirely different things. I'm sure your mother, Athena, would agree. You're very intelligent, Annabeth. You will know in time."

"But-" Annabeth starts but is interrupted by a loud rumble of thunder in the distance.

Hera points towards the two doors that mold together into one tunnel. "That's my cue to return to Olympus. Zeus grows impatient. Annabeth, think about what I said. Seek out my son. You will have to pass through the ranch, but keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, no matter how common they may be."

She stands up abruptly. Hera looks at me with a stern expression. "Watch yourself, Aikarina. Decisions are still being made. You have not escaped yet. They may start another trial soon, depending on your future actions." She turns towards Annabeth. "One last thing for you my dear, I have postponed your decision, but I have not prevented it. Soon you will have to choose. Farewell heroes!" She waved her hand and she turned to white smoke, along with the food on the table. The room fades with life and returns to the dirty way it was before Hera showed up.

Annabeth stomps her foot on the ground. "What sort of help was that? 'Here have a sandwich. Make a wish. Oops! I can't help you!'" She throws her hands up in exasperation.

Grover sighs. "Well at least we know that Percy has the answer. That's something." We all look at him. Percy takes in involuntary step back.

"But I don't." He clarifies. "I don't know what she was talking about."

We stay silent until Grover breaks it again. "Rina, what did she mean by the trials and stuff about the 'great love'? She seemed really interested in knowing what it was about."

I take in a deep breath. The last thing I want is to tell them and have all of them treat me differently, for better or worse. I shrug. "It's not important."

Grover's eyebrows come together. "It sounded pretty-"

"It's not." I snap. I turn towards one of the tunnels. "Come on. We have to keep going. There is still a lot of distance to cover."

Annabeth nods. "Rina's right. We have to start moving."

"Which way?" Percy asks.

Grover and Tyson look at each other with wide eyes. "Left." They say in unison.

Annabeth frowns. "How can you be sure?"

Grover shakes slightly in his spot. "Because something big is coming from the right."

"Left sounds pretty good." Percy says. We all turn to the left tunnel and plunge into the darkness.

* * *

><p>We start sprinting the minute we hear the loud breathing and shuffling of many feet. Something big is behind us. It's so big that I can hear it's sides smack the walls like raw steak. The tunnel is straight and very dark. Percy's flashlight barely lights a foot in front of him so I am very grateful for Apollo's gift. It seems to power through the darkness and lights our way, but there is no way that I'm looking behind us.<p>

We stop right in front of a boulder that blocks the rest of the tunnel. My heart jumps into my throat.

Percy turns towards Tyson. "Tyson, can you-"

"Yes!" He exclaims before Percy finishes. Tyson slams his shoulder against the boulder. The tunnel shakes and dust lands on top of us. The monster is still coming closer.

"Hurry!" Grover exclaims. He chews on the edge of his shirt nervously. "Please don't collapse the tunnel, but hurry!"

Tyson grunts before slamming into the boulder again. It finally gives way to a small room. The grinding noise is so terrible that it feels like my ears are bleeding. Together we push the boulder back into place. Whatever that was on the other side sounds disappointed. It lets out a wail of frustration.

"We trapped it." Percy gasps out.

Grover's eyes grow wide. "Or trapped ourselves."

I turn around to see us in a prison cell. Outside there are cell doors in straight rows that go on for what seems like miles. Several floors of cells actually. Annabeth turns off the light and hands it to me, just in case there are monsters in here. Because it is so dark and creepy, it seems like a place where monsters would hide. I wouldn't be surprised if something pops out to kill us.

Annabeth tugs on the bars. They creek but no other sign of them loosening. "What the Hades?" Annabeth says. She smacks her hand on the bar in frustration.

I look around the edge of the cell for anything that we can use to escape. Nothing. Nothing at all except dust.

Percy rubs the back of his head. "Looks like a prison. Maybe Tyson can break-"

Grover holds up his hand. "Quiet. Listen."

I strain my ears to listen. There seems to be a sobbing noise coming above us. There's also another noise that sounds like gears grinding together. It's like nothing I have ever heard before but it seems like some sort of language.

"What's that language?" Percy asks, asking the question I was wondering myself.

"I don't know. It sounds weird though. Maybe if we get closer then we can figure it out." I answer.

Tyson's eyes widen in surprise. "Can't be." He mutters. He grabs two bars and pries them wide enough for him to go through.

"Wait!" Grover calls out but Tyson doesn't even turn around. The second he is out of the cell, Tyson is dashing down the hallways towards the sobs.

We go through the gap that he made in the cell with ease. If it's big enough for Tyson then it is more than wide enough for us. The lights flicker and give the prison the appearance of something from a horror movie. It's very dim but I don't dare turn on my flashlight in case something sees it, but it would be nice to have extra light.

"I know this place." Annabeth says. She looks at the walls, as if to confirm her thoughts. "This is Alcatraz."

"You mean the island near San Francisco?" Percy asks.

She nods.

"Are you sure?" I wonder.

Annabeth nods again. "My class took a field trip here. I know where I am. This whole place is like a huge museum."

"Stop." Grover commands but Tyson keeps going. Grover leaps forward and tugs on his arm. Tyson reluctantly stops. "Don't you see it?"

I follow his finger to a monster across the courtyard. From the waist up she is a woman but below she is like a dragon. Her tail wraps around her like a coil of wire. Her legs sprout snakes that hiss at each other. Her hair is also made of snakes. But the most shocking thing about her is that along her waist her skin bubbles to form different beasts.

Tyson and I gasp. My hand instinctively climbs to my sword. Instead of feeling frightened, I feel adrenaline rush through me if there is a fight. It's weird that I'm scared of the Labyrinth but don't even bat an eye when I see such a terrible creature as her. "I can't believe it's her. It's really her." I whisper. Tyson nods in agreement. I swear I see him shake slightly in his spot.

Grover places a hand on our shoulders. "Get down!" He hisses. We duck just in time.

Kampê strides over to a cell where the sobbing is coming from. She speaks to the prisoner with the same language she used before. Her voice sounds much more rough and cruel up close.

Percy watches her carefully, as if he's trying to see if a monster like that has any weaknesses. "What is she saying? What language is it?"

Tyson shivers. "The tongue of old times. What Mother Earth spoke to her children... before the gods. She's saying some very scary things."

I look at the cyclops in surprise. "How do you understand what she's saying?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. I just can."

"Can you translate it?" Percy asks.

Annabeth shudders. She closes her eyes as if she is in pain. "I hate when he does that."

I don't know what she means until I hear Tyson speak with the same scratchy voice as Kampê. All cyclopes have the ability to mimic voices, but I have never witnessed it in person. I'm with Annabeth on this one. It's just creepy.

"I will not serve." Tyson says in a wounded voice that is obviously not Kampê.

"Then I shall enjoy your pain, Briares." Tyson falters when he says the name. It sounds familiar but I can't quite place where I heard it. Tyson seems to know who it is because it takes him several moments to recover. "If you thought your first imprisonment was truly unbearable, then wait for your next punishment. You have yet to feel true torment. Think on this until I return." She hisses. Tyson snaps out of his trance-like state.

Kampê extends her wings that look like they belong to a bat, then leaps out of the courtyard. She soars across the courtyard with as much as grace as a chicken learning to fly. When she lands, a blast of wind nearly knocks us over. Then she disappears around the corner.

Grover bites nervously on the collar of his shirt. "H-H-Horrible. I have never smelt a monster as strong as that, and I never want to again!"

"Cyclopes's worst nightmare." Tyson mumbles under his breath.

Percy looks at his brother. "Who?"

"Kampê." I answer.

Tyson gulps at her very name. He looks absolutely terrified of her but he isn't freaking out like I thought he would. "Every cyclops knows about her. Stories were meant to scare us as babies. She was our jailer during the bad years." Tyson tells us.

I nod and continue to elaborate. "She's incredibly powerful. When the Titans ruled, they imprisoned Gaia and Ourano's children. Like the cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires."

Percy's eyebrows knit together. "The Heka-whats?"

Annabeth sighs. "The Hundred-Handed ones. They were called that because... well they had a hundred hands. They are the elder brother of the cyclops."

It's as if Tyson does a complete flip of emotions. His eyes glisten with pride. "Very powerful and wonderful! As tall as the sky! So strong that they could break a mountain! Amazing!"

Percy smiles. "Very cool, unless you're a mountain."

"Kampê was the jailer." Tyson explains. "She worked for Kronos. She kept our brothers locked in Tartarus. She tortured them always until Zeus came. He killed Kampê and freed the cyclops and the Hundred-Handed ones to fight against the Titans."

"And now she's back." Percy concludes.

I nod. "And that is bad."

"Very bad." Tyson adds.

There is a moment of silence until Percy breaks it. "You said another name. Who's in the cell?"

Tyson perks up immediately. "Briares! He is a Hundred-Handed one!" He says excitedly.

Annabeth smooths out her jeans which only makes two longs streaks of mud on the denim. "Well, we should check it out before Kampê comes back."

Grover stands up nervously. "Yeah, before she comes back is best."

We walk up the catwalk and towards the cell. The crying gets louder and louder until we are right in front of Briares himself. He looks unnaturally pale and skinnier than he should. Briares also looks like he hasn't taken a bath in a long time. His hands mindlessly bend metal into different things. It amazes me how he is so skilled with metal and he isn't even thinking about it. He covers his face with several of his hands to hide his sobs so he hasn't seen us yet.

Tyson gets down on his knees before him. "Braires!" He exclaims. Almost immediately the sobbing stops. Briares peeks at Tyson through his hands. "Great Hundred-Handed One! Help us!"

He removes his hands from his face. Briares looks miserable. A hand wipes several stray tears from his cheeks. "Run while you can, young cyclops. I cannot even help myself so how can I help others?" He lets out a choked sob.

Tyson seems less excited as before but still keeps his same optimism. "You are a Hundred-Handed One! You can do anything!"

"I cannot!" Briares wails. "The dreaded Kampê is back! All is lost. The Titans will rise again and throw us all in Tartarus!"

Tyson points a demanding finger at him. "Put on your brave face." He commands.

His face morphs to one that looks smug and confident. All his facial features change except for his eyes that are the same dark brown. As soon as the new face appears, it changes back to a sad one. Briares groans. "No good. My scared face always comes back." One of his hands fidgets nervously. It claws into the ground, as if it's trying to dig its way out of here. It reminds me of Chris. Both of them are scared and unconsciously searching for an escape.

Percy looks at him in amazement. "How did you do that?"

Annabeth and I both elbow him in the ribs for being rude. Percy glares at us but is confused why we elbowed him.

"Don't be rude. All the Hundred-Handed Ones have about fifty faces. They can switch between them." Annabeth tells him.

"Must be hard to get a yearbook picture." Percy comments quietly. It takes a lot of self-control to not laugh. I dig my nails into my leg so that Briares doesn't think I'm laughing at him. The last thing I want is to offend an already emotionally vulnerable Hundred-Handed One.

Tyson stands up but is still entranced by Briares. "It will be okay! We can help you! Can I have your autograph?" Tyson gasps out.

Briares looks at the cyclops thoughtfully. "Do you have a hundred pens?"

I dig into my purse and pull out three. "I have three pens. Is that good enough?" I hold them out to Tyson who eagerly takes them. He places one in one of Briares's hands. He starts to write an autograph when Grover interrupts.

"Guys, we have to get of here. Kampê will be back and she will sense us sooner or later." Grover reminds us. He watches the courtyard intensely for any sign of her returning.

"Break the bars." Annabeth suggests. "Briares, you should break the bars."

Tyson gives him a large toothed grin. "Yes! Briares is strong! Stronger than any cyclops! He can break the bars easily!" He proclaims.

Briares lets out a pitiful whimper. If anything he seems to cower in the corner of his cell even more.

"If he's so strong, then why is he stuck in jail?" Percy wonders out loud.

Annabeth and I both elbow him in the ribs again.

"He's scared." I whisper to him. "Terrified actually, and I don't blame him. Kampê kept him in Tartarus for thousands of years. He has every right to be scared. I know I would be if I were him."

Briares covers his face again with several hands. He lets out a sound that sounds like a mix of a sob and a hyena's laugh.

Tyson's hopeful smile washes off of his face. He looks up at his role model in concern. "What-what's wrong? Show us your strength. We want to see how strong you are!"

There are several moments of silence. The only sound is Briares silent tears and our breathing.

I gently touch Tyson's arm as a sort of support. Annabeth clears her throat awkwardly. "Tyson, you better just break the bars." She tells him quietly.

He nods hesitantly. "I will break the bars." He says. He walks towards the cell slowly, giving Briares a chance to break the bars himself but he doesn't move towards them like the cyclopes hopes. Tyson grabs the cell door and breaks it off the hinges.

Annabeth holds out her hand and gives the Hundred-Handed One a reassuring smile. "Come on, Briares. Let's go."

His face morphs to a happy one. It's so filled with joy that I unconsciously smiles to. Several of his hands reach for Annabeth's, but twice as many slap them away. As soon as it appeared, his happy face turns into a terrified one.

Briares leans against the cement wall. "I cannot leave. She will punish me if I do."

Annabeth steps towards him. "It's alright. You fought the Titans before and won! Remember?"

His face morphs to a mournful one. Briares frowns at the floor of the cell. "I remember the war clearly. Lightning shook the world. Many people died. We threw many rocks. The Titans almost won. They're getting stronger. Kampê said so."

Percy shakes his head. "Don't listen to anything she says. Now, come on!"

Briares doesn't move an inch.

"One game of rock, paper, scissors." Percy blurts out. Annabeth and I share a concerned look while Grover looks like he's about to faint. "If I win, then you'll come with us. If I lose, we'll leave you in jail."

"I don't think that is a good idea." I hiss at him but Percy ignores me.

Briares looks at Percy doubtfully. "But I always win rock, paper, scissors."

Percy smiles. "Then let's do this!"

He pounds his fist on his palm three times. Briares does the same, his hundred hands in perfect synch. It sounds like thousands of rocks falling at the same time. Briares didn't choose one of the choices for all of his hands. No, there are dozens of papers, rocks, and scissors. There is no way that Percy would've won.

I look down at Percy's hand to see it shaped as a gun. What?

Briares sniffles. "I told you I always win. You should've-" He pauses. With narrowed eyes he stares at Percy's 'gun'. "What is that?"

Percy holds up his hand. "A gun. And a gun beats everything, so I win."

Briares rubs his nose with several hands and sniffles. He reluctantly gets out of the cell. "Demigods are cheaters." He shuffles behind us as we walk down the catwalk. Suddenly we all freeze. Right below us is a very angry Kampê. The snakes on her let out a hiss of distaste when they see us and a lion on her waist roars angrily.

"The other way!" Percy yells. We pivot and run in the opposite way from Kampê. Briares immediately takes the lead with all his hands waving in panic. I can't see his face but I'm sure he's bawling.

I feel a burst of wind from Kampê taking flight. It takes a lot of concentration to not look back, but not knowing how close she is makes me run faster than ever before. Deep down I want to turn around and fight her myself, but I can only imagine Athena yelling me about how reckless that would be and that I would most likely die a painful death. Plus, I'm sure I would disappoint Apollo and Athena for dying in such a dumb way. I think even Ares would be more disappointed than usual if I died that way.

We stumble down a flight of stairs. Annabeth would've fallen head first down them if Percy hadn't pulled her back in time. We run through several dark corridors and past a guard station. All the while we're running, Kampê is in hot pursuit. The sounds of the animals on her belt get louder with ever second that goes by.

Annabeth points towards a T in the hallway. "Go left! I remember this from the tour!" She gasps out.

Briares flings open a set of metal doors and we find ourselves outside in the prison yard. We're surrounded by a fence with barbed wire on top. Everywhere we look there are tourists taking pictures or buying souvenirs. Not a single one of them are aware of the approaching danger.

I look towards the north. Mount Tamalpais is surrounded by dark clouds that circle it slowly. It looks very daunting. I'm unsettled just looking at it. It's amazing that the mortal can't see a single thing that I'm seeing. And if they do, then it's so clouded by the mist that it's something completely different.

Annabeth blocks the sun with her hand and looks towards the mountain. She frowns. "It's even worse than before. The storms have been bad all year but now..."

Briares lets out a sob. He glances towards the metal doors anxiously. "Keep moving! She's right behind us!" He wails.

We run to the far end of the yard, only to be blocked by a fence. At least we are as far away from the door as possible.

"We should be safe. Kampê is too big for the door." Percy muses hopefully.

Then the wall explodes.

Tourists let out loud screams when Kampê bursts through the prison wall but I can't be sure what they're seeing because of the mist. I take out my sword but quickly see that it won't do anything against her two scimitars. A weird green vapor surrounds them that puts a sour taste in my mouth.

Grover lets out a yelp. "Poison! Don't let the swords touch you or you will-"

"Die?" Percy finishes.

Grover tilts his head thoughtfully for a second. "Well yeah, that too. But first you will shrivel up to dust."

Percy nods his head confidently. "I say that we avoid the swords."

Kampê lets out a terrible screech that is about as awful as a thousand forks scratching at a plate. Her eyes narrow in on us like a heat-seeking missile. Suddenly she thunders towards us with her dragon legs. The ground shakes with every stomp.

"Run." Annabeth says calmly, but I don't see how she can sound so calm in a time like this. We immediately run out of the prison yard and out of the prison gates with Kampê right on our tail. Tourists push each other to get to the ferry as fast as they can. There are sirens surrounding us but I'm not sure where they're coming from.

"The boat?" Grover suggests. He looks over his shoulder but immediately regrets it. Grover's face is pure white with fear.

Tyson shakes his head. "Too slow. Back to the maze."

"We need a diversion, then." I tell them. "We won't be able to get back to the maze without one."

Tyson rips a lamppost straight out of the ground like it was nothing. "I will distract Kampê. You all run ahead." He sets his lips into a straight, definitive line. There is no changing his mind.

Percy starts to take out Riptide. "I'll help you."

He shakes his head. "No. Go. Poison will hurt, but not kill."

Percy looks between us and Tyson. He doesn't want to let Tyson do this, and I can't blame him. "Are you sure?" He asks.

"Go. I will meet you inside, brother."

We each take one of Briares hands so that he doesn't stay frozen in place. With a lot of strength we are able to drag him to the concession stand. The whole time he drags his feet and stares at Kampê with wide, terrified eyes.

"Briares! Run!" I hiss at him. That seems to break him out of his terrified trance. He pulls away from our grip and runs faster than before towards the entrance of the Labyrinth, though I have no idea how he knows where it is.

I hear sounds of metal crunching but I don't look back. Whatever is happening, I hope Tyson is okay.

"Won't make it." Briares huffs out. His face morphs to a mournful one, as if he's already picturing what our burial shrouds will look like.

I have never seen Percy look so irritated. "Tyson is risking his life for you! You _will_ make it!" He yells.

We reach the door to the cellblock. I glance over my shoulder to see Tyson sprinting towards us with a very angry Kampê behind him. During their fight she was somehow covered in ice cream and dressed in a variety of Alcatraz souvenirs. If I wasn't terrified for all of our lives, I would've laughed.

Annabeth swings open the door. "Hurry." She tells us but it isn't necessary. Briares is already halfway down the corridor, screaming as he's running.

It takes long time but we find the cell we came in. The bars are still bent like we last saw them. Percy runs his hand over the wall. "It's gone!"

Annabeth shakes her head. She runs her hands over the wall, searching for something. "Look for the mark of Daedalus!"

Grover lets out a sigh. He points at a symbol. "There!" It turns a faint blue when he presses his finger on it. The stone wall grinds open like an old door. It takes both Percy's and my combined effort to push Briares into the maze. He's muttering something about it being dark and more monsters. Annabeth and Grover don't need any other motivation than the approaching Kampê to enter through the door.

Percy looks out of the door. I look over his shoulder to see Tyson running for his life. Kampê swings her sword, leaving a cloud of poison that barely misses him. He's going too slow. There's no way he's going to make it in time.

Percy must realize this because he sets a determined look on his face. He taps his wristwatch which transforms into a shield. With a very accurate throw, he hits Kampê straight in the face with it. She stumbles back in surprise, giving Tyson enough time to barrel through the entrance.

The door closes right before Kampê gets through. She pounds on the door angrily. Hopefully she can't open it, but we aren't going to stay and find out. I have never been happier to be in this stupid maze.

Annabeth takes my flashlight and leads the way. We run past several traps and through many hallways until we reach a room with waterfalls along the wall. There is a large pit in the middle that gives me a gut-wrenching feeling but we are at a comfortable distance from the entrance to Alcatraz.

I take my water bottle out of my purse and fill it with water. After a thorough examination, I decide that the water is good enough to drink. Hopefully it doesn't have a poison in it that makes me die a slow and painful death but you can never be too sure.

Briares slumps against the wall. The water pools around him but Briares doesn't care. "That pit goes straight to Tartarus. I should just jump in and save you all the trouble." He mutters bitterly.

Annabeth takes a step towards him. "Don't talk that way, Briares. You can come back to camp with us and help us prepare for battle. You know more about fighting the Titans than anybody." She tells him but her words don't seem to be getting through.

Briares lets out a whimper at the mention of the Titans. "I have nothing to offer. There is no need for me."

Tyson steps forward. He looks like he wants to reach out to Briares but he isn't sure how. "There is always a need for the Hundred-Handed Ones! What about your brothers?" Tyson's face turns to a dream-like one. "They must stand as tall as a mountain. Maybe taller! We can take you to them."

Briares looks away but none of us mistake the grief in his face. "They have long faded" He tells us.

There is a long silence. The only sound is of water gushing into Tartarus.

Percy clears his throat. "What do you mean by 'faded'? I thought monsters were immortal like the gods."

I shuffle my feet on the ground. "Even immortality has its limits. Eventually everything has its end."

"Sometimes monsters become forgotten and they lose their will to live. It's really sad, actually." Grover mutters. From the look in his eyes I'm sure that he is thinking about Pan, God of the Wild.

"I must go." Briares says.

"But, what about Kronos's army?" I say, angry at Briares for only thinking about himself. I have to clench my fists to keep myself from going to slap some sense into him.

Tyson steps forward but Briares takes a step back. "We need your help. You're strong and powerful!" He tries to say confidently but his voice falters.

Briares hangs his head in shame. "I cannot, my dear Cyclops." He looks back up at me momentarily before looking back at his feet.

He starts to move away from us but Tyson is not going to let him leave so easily. "You're strong. Nobody is stronger than you."

Briares pauses but then continues to leave. "Not anymore."

"Hey!" Percy says. He grabs one of his arms and pulls Briares where we can't hear them over the roar of the waterfalls. Percy looks agitated while Briares seems like he's going to cry any second. When he starts to leave, Percy tells him one last thing. "Maybe that's why monsters fade. Maybe it's not what the mortals believe. Maybe it's all because you give up on yourself."

He doesn't say anything back. Briares dips his head and disappears into the shadows of the Labyrinth.

Tyson lets out a sob. Grover gathers up the courage and says several encouraging things to Tyson. Despite all the kind words, Tyson doesn't seem to feel any better. Poor guy.

Annabeth stands up. She eyes the pit nervously. Maybe she feels the same feeling I do. Annabeth looks up at me. "Where do you think we should make camp?" She asks me. "There aren't many safe places here, if there are any."

"We can't stay here, though." I answer. "There's no way that I'm sleeping next to the pit of Tartarus."

Annabeth nods in agreement. She picks up her pack. "Come on. I don't like hanging around the pit. It's making me feel nervous. Let's find a place to camp for the night."

"If it is even night." Percy mutters to himself. There's no way to know since the sky is blocked out by the maze, but nobody seems to be against idea of sleeping for a while, so we press on.

* * *

><p><strong>Next update there will be a 'flashback' of one of the things that happened to Clarisse and Rina in the maze so look forward to that! Thank you for reading my story. It would make me so happy if you guys would favoritereview/follow my story. Thanks!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you guys for your support of this story! It really makes my day to see a review or that someone favorite/followed! Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of the Percy Jackson series. I only own Rina, Tyler, Ava, and potential future characters.**

**This is sort of a long chapter but I hope you like it!**

* * *

><p><em>I glance down at the map. There is a red X where Annabeth said that the entrance to the Labyrinth is. She made sure to label the map clearly and precisely. I then look up at the door in the bottom of an abandoned department store. It doesn't look special. Just a door to the back room, but to the right of the door is the symbol of Daedalus. This is it.<em>

_"You sure this is the place?" Clarisse asks after she comes back from checking the store for monsters. She runs her hand along the door, clearly expecting it to be so much more extravagant for it being the entrance to the Labyrinth. But it isn't much different than the entrance in Phoenix.  
><em>

_I nod. "Positive. Right where Annabeth marked it for us."_

_Clarisse frowns. "What if he was lying? What if he told Annabeth the wrong place and he just led us to another dead-end?"_

_I point towards the symbol of Daedalus near the entrance. "No, I'm pretty sure this is right."_

_She takes out a pump bottle and a drachma out of her duffel bag. Clarisse hands me the bottle._

_"Better tell Chiron we found it." She mutters._

_I pump the water, ignoring the cramp that I'm already feeling in my hand. A shimmer of a rainbow appears in the small amount of water.  
><em>

_Clarisse closes her eyes, deep in concentration. "Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Chiron. Halfblood Hill" She lightly tosses the drachma in the water. It disappears with a small shimmer of light.  
><em>

_The mist forms a picture of Chiron yelling at several young campers for trying to shoot at him with their bow and arrows. There are two arrows tangled in his tail and Chiron is holding half of an arrow in one hand and the other half in his left hand. They all giggle when they see the message. Chiron turns around to see what is so funny. He nearly falls over in surprise when he sees us. The Centaur straightens himself immediately.  
><em>

_"Hello Clarisse and Rina. I trust that all is well." Chiron says carefully._

_"We found the entrance." Clarisse bluntly tells him, not wanting to say more, just in case other campers get curious. The last thing we want is for there to be mass panic that an entrance to the Labyrinth has been found.  
><em>

_Chiron nods approvingly. "Good. Can you close it off somehow?"_

_She shakes her head. "Tried that in Phoenix. The entrance just moved several feet. There is no way that we can block it."_

_He thinks for several moments. "Alright. Then just return back to camp."_

_Clarisse mouth falls open in surprise. "Just return back to camp? But Chiron-"_

_Chiron frowns at the Daughter of Ares. "No. There is nothing more we can do. Return to camp immediately." I have never heard him sound so serious._

_The water in the bottle runs out, letting the Iris message collapse on itself. I place it in the bag and take out a spray paint bottle. I shake it then spray the message 'DO NOT ENTER' over the door. Within seconds the paint dissolves into the door and it's as it was before, which wasn't very clean.  
><em>

_"Great." I mutter. I settle for writing the message on the wall next to the door. This time the Labyrinth doesn't make it disappear. At least there is a warning in case somebody gets a little too curious.  
><em>

_Clarisse kicks her bag in frustration. "How can we just return to camp after we found another entrance?" She exclaims._

_I shrug. "Chiron said so. Maybe he's right. There's nothing more that we can do but go back to camp. There's really no reason for us to stay here. We should get back so that we can train the new campers." I say, knowing that this is the wisest choice. Annabeth must be rubbing off on me.  
><em>

_She looks at me in disbelief. "And what? Wait for someone to accidentally stumble down here?" Clarisse holds up a finger in thought. "You know, I've never tried bringing it down from the inside."_

_"That will never work." I cross my arms.  
><em>

_Clarisse shakes her head. "It could, though. I've tried everything that I could think of. Dynamite, a wrecking ball... but I've never tried to bring down an entrance from the inside."_

_"What makes you think that destroying the entrance from the inside will work?"_

_Clarisse shrugs. She tugs open the door that leads the way into the dark abyss. "You never know. Might as well try." Clarisse smirks, looking shockingly like her father.  
><em>

_"Clarisse," I warn, knowing that if she goes into the Labyrinth, I'm coming too._

_She rolls her eyes. "Come on, I thought you were brave. It's not like we're going to go far into the maze. Just right outside the entrance" Clarisse goes into the entrance, leaving me behind. Without a moment of hesitation, I follow her._

_It's so dark and immediately I wish that I brought the flashlight Apollo gave me. It would be very helpful._

_"Clarisse?" I call out. I wave my hands in front of me, just in case she is standing next to me. I only grab fistfuls of darkness.  
><em>

_There is a moment of silence then a voice. "Over here." I hear Clarisse flip a lighter and then see the flame. I stumble through the dark hallway to her. The small flame isn't strong enough to make even a dent in the dark but it's bright enough to light her face.  
><em>

_I hear shuffling and the un-zipping of a bag. Clarisse brings something up to the light and I see that it's dynamite._

_Her eyes light up in a similar way that Ares's would. For a moment there seems to be flames dancing behind her eyelids. "So I'll light this and we'll run along the closest wall so that we don't lose our way back to the entrance. Okay?"_

_I lick my chapped lips. "If this works, then how are we going to get back out?"_

_Clarisse glares at me. "If it does work, then we just did everyone a great service. We'll just find another entrance that we can leave out of. It can't be that hard. Plus, when we return, we will be treated like heroes!"_

_I shake my head, still not liking the idea, but it's too late. She lights the fuse. Clarisse grabs my arm and we run along the side of the wall. The dynamite explodes, shaking the tunnel. Dust falls from the ceiling. So much that it seems like the Labyrinth is going to collapse. The ground shakes so much that I thought it would rip in half.  
><em>

_"Now to trace back our steps." Clarisse mutters. She starts walking then stops. I hear her gasp. Her hand involuntarily tightens around mine.  
><em>

_"What is it?" I ask since it is too dark for either of us to see anything.  
><em>

_"The wall... it's gone." She whispers but her voice seems amplified in the darkness.  
><em>

_My heart beats faster. "What do you mean it's missing? A wall can't just disappear." Just to make sure, I reach my hand out to where the wall was just seconds ago.  
><em>

_There is a long moment of silence. "No, you're right. Walls do not just disappear. Maybe I just walked a little off course." She doesn't sound so sure, but we continue to walk forward. After several minutes of walking, I stop._

_"Didn't Annabeth say that the tunnel purposefully messes with you?" I ask.  
><em>

_"Yeah, she did." Clarisse answers._

_I place one hand on my knife. I wish that I brought a sword with me. This knife is not enough to defend us properly in the Labyrinth. "Well, what if the tunnel changed just to mess with us? So the entrance that was a couple of feet from us is no longer there."_

_I hear her mutter several Greek curses under her breath. "How could I be such an idiot?" She hisses to herself._

_I grip Clarisse's hand harder. Deep in my gut I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen. It's like a spring in my stomach. "It's not your fault."_

_"Yes it is." She snaps back. "And I brought you down with me. I will get us out. I promise. Like I said before, it can't be too hard finding another entrance. There are literally thousands of tunnels. Some of them are bound to have a way out."_

_Clarisse flips the lighter, but the small flame does barely anything to light our way. We try to trace our path by running our hands along the wall, but the Labyrinth changes everything. After our second time around the room, we realize that it is circular with no exits. But maybe now that we know it is circular, the maze will simply change the shape of the room so that we are even more disoriented.  
><em>

_"Feel around the walls somewhere. There has to be an exit to this room." I tell Clarisse. Together we run our hands along the wall, but can't find an exit._

_I'm about to say something else when I hear a shuffling on the other side of the room, somewhere in the darkness. There's something in here with us. Clarisse must've heard the same thing because I hear her grab her sword. I hold out my dagger, hoping that it will be enough but being in pitch-black darkness makes our chances close to none to win a fight.  
><em>

_We hear the shuffling get quieter then it let out a groan that sounds like an elderly man._

_"If we can't see it, then it can't see us. We should be able to sneak by it." Clarisse whispers. The minute she finishes her sentence, I feel a strong force push me from behind. I accidentally let go of Clarisse during my fall. The Labyrinth explodes with light. It's such a sudden change that it nearly blinds me.  
><em>

_"Clarisse?" I shout. She isn't in the room with me anymore. When my eyes adjust, I see a wooden door several feet away from me. It is wide open._

_"Clarisse?" I hear me shout, but it's not me. It's my voice but I didn't say it._

_I dash through the door._

_"Rina? Where are you?" I hear Clarisse shout right around the corner._

_I hold out my knife and look around the corner. Before me is a large monster with the body of a stag, neck like a lion, wide mouth with sharp teeth, and a long tail. It opens its mouth, as if to smile. "Rina!" It yells, imitating Clarisse's voice perfectly._

_I yelp as it lunges for me. I jab at it with my dagger but miss it completely. It's too fast for me. I sharply turn the corner. The monster's tail flicks with irritation. Unfortunately for it, I won't be an easy meal. It dashes after me at such a high-speed that it slams into the opposite wall with a crunch. It keeps running after me but I keep turning the sharp corners of the maze. The monster can't turn corners very well, which is the only reason that I'm still alive.  
><em>

_"Clarisse!" I shout. "I don't know if you can hear me but it's a Leukrokottas! It can imitate our voices like Cyclopes can!" Hopefully Clarisse heard me and knows what we're up against. And hopefully we aren't so separated from each other that we will be able to find each other again._

_"Rina! It's got me! Help!" I hear Clarisse screech. Every bone in my body wants to run towards the voice but there is no way knowing whether it is really her or not.  
><em>

_I slow my sprint into a small jog. The Labyrinth is kind enough to light the tunnels for me so that I'm not stumbling through the dark. Or maybe it's so cruel that it wants me to see the Leukrokottas teeth lung at my throat and watch myself slowly die.  
><em>

_Up ahead I hear footsteps. I hide around the corner with my knife ready. At the last second I whip around the stone corner and bring the knife towards my potential attacker._

_Clarisse dodges my stab. She holds my wrist so tight that I feel like she's going to break it. Her face is full of scratches and there is a large wound on her leg. Her jeans are soaked with blood.  
><em>

_"Clarisse!" I exclaim._

_She lets out a sigh of relief when she sees it's me. She drops my wrist. I notice that her hands are red with blood from applying pressure to the wound on her leg. I move her hand so that I can get a better look. The scratch turns out to look more like a bite mark, matching the Leukrokottas's mouth perfectly._

_Once again I curse how unprepared we are. We didn't plan to go in the Labyrinth so we didn't bring any ambrosia, food, or water. Nothing but several knives, dynamite, and spray paint. I take off my sweatshirt and put it over the wound to stop her from bleeding out. Clarisse hisses at the pain but otherwise doesn't say anything.  
><em>

_"What happened?" I ask._

_"What did you think happened?" She snaps. "I heard you yell for me and instead of you, I saw that genetic mistake!" Clarisse hisses again as I apply more pressure to her wound. "Be careful, will you!"  
><em>

_I glare at her. "I'm not a Child of Apollo, you know! I'm doing the best I can. The monster is a Leukrokottas. It imitates people's voices to lure them to where it can kill them. We're lucky that we got away."_

_Clarisse shakes her head. "I'm not so sure. I didn't kill it. Did you?"_

_I shake my head. There is a shuffle behind us. We whip around just in time to see its tail go behind a corner._

_Her eyes grow wide in the dim light. "Duck!" I crouch down just in time for Clarisse's sword to swing over my head. I stand up with my dagger ready. "It's too fast." She tells me. We turn back to back with our weapons drawn. Eventually it will have to come out to get us. And when it does, we will be ready.  
><em>

_"Help me! Help!" A young girl screams. It sounds so real but I know it's just one of the Leukrokottas's past victims. "Don't let it kill me!"_

_I look the direction that the cries are coming from. The minute I turn my head, I feel a sharp sting and I fall towards the ground. Clarisse says something but it comes out as a gasp. All I can concentrate is the darkness crawling into my vision. I raise my hand to the side of my head. My hand is covered in fresh blood. It almost shimmers in the light.  
><em>

_Slowly my vision becomes clearer and the throbbing in my head calms down. I am able to lift my head high enough to see Clarisse jabbing her sword at the Leukrokottas. She's doing very well but it's too fast. It hasn't noticed me yet, so I have a chance._

_I grab my dagger that I dropped during my fall. Clarisse sees me out of the corner of her eye. She moves so the monster has its back to me. It snaps its mouth and nearly takes off Clarisse's arm, but she was ready for it. Clarisse smacks it in the face with the blunt side of her sword. It stumbles back and I drive my knife into its bony back. The Leukrokottas lets out a strangled whine then crumbles into dust._

_Clarisse wipes a bead of sweat off of her forehead. "Good work. Now let's find our way out of this stupid maze."_

I feel a sharp poke in my sides. Instantly I wake up and have whoever is poking me pinned to the floor with a knife to their neck. When my eyes adjust I see that it's only Percy. Wow. This is happening _way_ too often.

Percy looks down at the dagger. I'm sure that if his arms weren't pinned underneath his own body, he would be raising them like he's innocent. "Not a monster. Just me." He says. He looks absolutely exhausted, even if there is a blade to his throat. I'm sure that if he closes his eyes for too long, he'll fall asleep like this.

I quickly get off of him. "What time is it?" I ask, still groggy from sleeping.

Percy shrugs. "I don't know but it's your turn to take watch. Wake Grover up in two hours so that you can get more sleep then it will be Tyson's turn to take watch."

I nod. I grab my flashlight that we have been using then slump against the wall. Percy falls asleep almost immediately.

Every so often I would hear a sound and my paranoid self would assume the worse. My whole watch was spent with me being incredibly paranoid which I guess isn't a bad thing to be considering where I am. But I would turn at every noise. It all reminds me of when I was in the maze with Clarisse.

The only difference between then and now is then we were constantly trying to get out of the maze. Now we're trying to get deeper. The fact that I'm purposefully diving into the place where nightmares come to life scares me so much. I'm terrified. I'm absolutely terrified. The others may be scared, but they aren't as frightened of this place as I am. They haven't experienced the horrors. They haven't felt the true effects.

I lean my head against the wall and take a deep breath. My hands shake out of my control. The memories of the maze don't affect me like they affect Clarisse. She still has nightmares about it, but of course she doesn't tell anyone that. Not even me. The only reason I know that is because she asked several of my siblings for concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes from her siblings. She refuses to show any weakness. And that's where the family resemblance kicks in.

I'm absolutely terrified of this place but I refuse to tell anyone. When Annabeth asked me to join her on the quest, I felt nervous and helpless. No matter how much I wanted to stay behind in Camp Halfblood, I know that I had to be strong for my friends. So I came with and now I'm sitting here against the wall, almost having a panic attack.

"Gods, give me strength to get through this quest. You all know I need it." I whisper into my cupped hands.

* * *

><p>Annabeth glares at the wooden ceiling like if she stared enough then it would burst into flames. "This doesn't make any sense. It should be stone." She grumbles.<p>

"The Labyrinth doesn't have to make sense." I remind her.

Annabeth pounds on the wall in frustration. "Why can't it just be stone?" The tunnel slowly changes to stone just to mess with her mind. She lets out a groan of frustration before pressing forward.

I rush to catch up with her. Tyson, Grover, and Percy walk slower than us as if they're afraid to be too close to Annabeth while she is this frustrated.

"Annabeth," I gasp out, "You have to stop giving the Labyrinth a reason to mess with you."

She throws up her arms, nearly smacking me in the head. "I'm not giving it a reason to mess with me." Annabeth snaps back. "Athena is all about logic, but everything about this maze is illogical! It's just not right!"

Percy starts motioning me to drop the subject but I know that if Annabeth keeps going like this, she's going to drop dead before we get close to the center of the maze. I suck in a deep breath. "Clarisse tried to think about it logically too. You know what happened?"

She looks at me with wide eyes. Neither of us told her much about what happened to us in the Labyrinth so this is a surprise. "No. What?"

I purposefully avoid her gaze. "She thought about your research. Said that she decided to use her brain instead of her muscles and that she will think about it like Annabeth thinks about things: logically. She looked for signs that someone has been there, signs for a worn out path since the most used tunnels would be the ones with an entrance in them. It didn't work. The Labyrinth just messed with us like it was a game. My point is, don't think about it too logically."

Annabeth's eyebrows come together in confusion. "That is not very good advice."

I sigh. "I know, but what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't think about too much."

She purses her lips. I know I'm not making much sense but maybe Annabeth of all people can make something out of it. "So what you're saying is that since the maze is illogical, I should think illogically?"

I shrug. "Yeah, pretty much."

Annabeth snorts. "No. Everything has some sort of reason. Even this _stupid_ maze." She kicks up some dust on the ground for good measure. My poor attempt of giving her advice just went down the drain. Her grey eyes bore into the side of my face curiously. "We haven't talked about the conversation with Hera yet."

I grind my teeth together so hard that they can probably hear it.

"Yeah!" Grover interjects. "What was that all about? How did she know you so well? I mean, she is the Queen of the Heavens. And what about that deal thing that Janus was talking about?"

"It's none of your guy's business." I snap, feeling a small twinge of guilt for being so harsh to them. Grover shrinks back slightly. Annabeth and Percy just stare at me with wide eyes. I sigh. "I just don't want to talk about." I say much more softly. They stop asking about it, luckily for me.

We enter a room with a rectangular pit in the middle of the room. It feels like darkness is seeping out of the shallow pit. Stalactites hang dangerously off the ceiling. In a corner I see a tin foil wrapper with a small part of a hamburger next to it.

Percy shines his flashlight on it. "Nico was here."

I look at him in shock. "Why would Nico be here?" I ask.

He looks at me then back to a half-eaten hamburger. "Because he wants to kill me."

I take an involuntary step back. My eyes grow wide in shock. "Why would he want to kill you? It doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does! He needs a soul who cheated death." Percy says but it doesn't make much sense to me. Whatever is going on, clearly he didn't want to involve me. Maybe it's because he thought that I would run and tell Nico everything I knew. But how can he know that I've talked to Nico all summer? Or maybe it's just because he doesn't trust me as much as he trusts Tyson, Grover, and Annabeth, which would make sense. I'm not really volunteering to tell them about myself.

Tyson whimpers. "Ghosts were here." Based on his expression, Tyson doesn't like ghosts.

Out of nowhere, Percy starts to run.

"Percy!" Annabeth calls out before dashing after him. Grover, Tyson and I share a concerned look. What is happening? We run after then but they have a head start. I just hope that the Labyrinth doesn't get any ideas and tries to separate us.

We slow down when we see Percy and Annabeth staring up at a grate. I walk under it to see the sky. The beautiful blue sky and an odd, red cow looking down at us.

"Where are we?" I say aloud even though I kind of meant it as a thought in my head.

Grover reaches up to tap one of the bars. "Under a cattle guard." The cow tries to place one hoof on the bars but chickens out. It moos sadly and stares down at us.

Percy tears his eyes off of the cow. "A cattle what?"

Grover's lips curl in disgust. "A cattle guard. They put them at the gates of ranches so that the cattle can't get out."

"How do you know that?" Percy pries.

Grover lets out a huff, but I think he's more irritated at the metal bars above our heads than Percy asking questions. "Believe me, if you had hooves then you would know all about them."

Percy's back straightens at a sudden realization. "Didn't Hera say something about a ranch? We have to check it out. Nico might be there." I still have no idea why he would think that Nico is there, but I understand why we have to check it out. Hera seemed to want us to go here. And when a goddess wants you to go somewhere, you go there.

Tyson raises his arms and seems to lightly tap the gate. It flies off into the fields somewhere. There is a loud, startled moo from a cow almost getting killed by the grate. Tyson blushes and mutters a sorry. He clasps his hands together and gives us all a boost up, one by one.

I look at my surroundings. There are hills everywhere. Cherry colored cows dot the nearby hill like polka dots. They stay in a rectangle area surrounded by barbed wire fences and cattle guards. The cows stare at us curiously.

"The cattle of the sun." Annabeth mutters to herself.

"What?" Percy asks. Annabeth takes a step forward to get a better look at the cows, ignoring his question.

"Apollo's sacred cow." I answer. I bring my eyebrows together. "But I don't think they're all that special to him since he barely mentions them. Pretty though."

Grover holds up a hand. "Listen."

I strain my ears. In the distance it sounds like dogs baying. A bush rustles and a dog with two heads pops out. Both of the heads snarl at us with sharp teeth. They look like someone personally sharpened each tooth. I pull out my sword. Percy uncaps his pen and Annabeth takes out her dagger too.

"Bad Janus dog!" Tyson exclaims. He backs away from their snapping teeth.

Grover lets out a series of Arf's. The dog seems to understand him but isn't too impressed that he can talk to him. It tilts its heads at him then continues to act like it wants to murder us.

A couple of seconds later a very large man with a huge straw hat comes out of the woods. He is wearing dirty jeans and a Texas T-shirt. What gets my attention is his club with spikes coming out of the end.

Immediately my head runs through all the advantages and disadvantages of the weapon. _Huge and can do a lot of damage if hit by it. Very slow though. If he swings at me, I will have time to stab while he recovers._ My mind then goes through all the possible attacks I can use against the man that is twice my size.

"Heel, Orthus." He says with a gruff voice. The man glares at us from under his hat. "Put away your weapons. No point 'n having them out."

The dog growls at each of us one last time before sitting by his master's feet. We reluctantly sheath our blades. The man looks at each of us with a calculating eye. He raises his club so that if any of us try something, he will be ready to hit us. "What do we got here? Cattle rustlers?" His eyes narrow dangerously.

Annabeth shakes his head. "No. Just travelers. We're on a quest."

His eye twitches and I swear his hands tighten around his club. "Halfbloods, eh?"

"I'm Annabeth, Daughter of Athena. That's Rina, Daughter of Aphrodite-"

"A Daughter of Aphrodite with purple hair?" He asks with disbelief.

I cross my arms, starting to feel angry at the way he's looking at me. "Yes. Got a problem with that?" I snap, letting my irritation get the best of me.

"Rina... Rina..." His eyes grow wide like he just made a great discovery. "You don't happen to be Aikarina, Tyler's kid?"

My hand immediately goes for my sword. The others see this and their hands also go towards their weapons. "Maybe. Why does it matter?"

He shrugs. "Doesn't. Just wonderin'."

Annabeth lets out a cough. "Um... that's Percy, Son of Poseidon. Grover the satyr. Tyson the-"

"Cyclops. I know." He interrupts again. "I'm Eurytion the cowherd on this ranch. Son of Ares. You came through the Labyrinth like the other one, I reckon."

Percy perks up. "The other one? Was it Nico di Angelo?"

"We get loads of visitors here." His face turns dark, not completely answering Percy's question. "Not a lot of them leave." I really don't like the sound of that. Grover shifts uncomfortably. He must be thinking the same thing.

"Wow. I feel very welcome." Percy comments sarcastically but he doesn't seem as disturbed by the comment as Grover and me. Alarms bells are ringing in both of our minds while Percy is making a joke about it.

Eurytion looks behind him like someone is watching him. He leans forward and lowers his voice. "I'm only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze before it's too late. You might not be able to later."

Annabeth shares a look with Percy. "We're not leaving until we see the other demigod." She insists.

She seems to have her mind set. Eurytion looks at the rest of us and sees that we aren't going to leave anytime soon. He lets out a disappointed grunt. "Fine. Then I gotta take you to the boss."

We walk up a long dirt path with Eurytion in the lead with his dog. I rush up to walk along his side. He gives me an odd side look but continues to stare forward.

"You knew my father?" I ask, remembering his comment from earlier.

Eurytion shrugs. "A lot of people knew your father. Before... well, you know... he was everywhere. Always doing quests. Even stole a couple of our flesh-eating horses. Look, I'll give you some advice, if you wanna get out of here in one piece, don't mention to the boss who your dad is." I glance back to see the rest of my group leaning forward and obviously eavesdropping. Just something else that I don't want to explain.

I slink back behind him and walk the rest of the path in silence. Occasionally we pass odd animals and Percy would ask what they are. Eurytion would answer with a glare and a very cryptic answer.

Finally we reach the house. Annabeth comments about it looking like a specific architect. She seems pretty excited about it but I don't ask about it. If I do, she'll surely go into an hour-long rant about every single detail of the house.

Eurytion turns around and walks up the bath backwards. "Don't break the rules. No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don't make any comments about the boss's appearance. That's all there is to it."

"Why? What does he look like?" Percy asks.

Eurytion opens his mouth but he's interrupted by a voice from behind him. "Welcome to Triple G Ranch!" I look around the Son of Ares and see a man slicked back hair so greasy that it could spontaneously combust. The smirk on his face disturbs me because it is more menacing than friendly. The oddest part about him is that he was three bodies attached to one head. Each of his bodies wears a different ugly shirt. He really needs a makeover.

Eurytion nudges Percy, so I guess he has been nominated the spokesperson of our group. "Say hello to Mr. Geryon." Eurytion mutters.

"Uh, hi! Nice chests- I mean ranch. Very nice ranch." Percy stumbles.

Mr. Geryon smiles but before he can respond, Nico comes out of the house. "Geryon, I won't wait for-" His eyes narrow in on Percy and it's like he has tunnel vision. He pulls out a short black sword that I have never seen in my life. I feel myself freeze in shock that Nico would be here. I thought that he was somewhere in the Underworld or maybe that he went back to camp while we were away.

Geryon snarls at the sight of the sword. He shuffles away from it. "Put that blade away, Mr. di Angelo. I will not have my guests kill each other!"

He points towards Percy with an accusing finger. "But that's-"

Geryon nods. "Percy Jackson. Annabeth Chase. Rina with no apparent last name. And some monsters."

Nico's eyes go wide. He looks at me as if he's just seeing me for the first time. "Rina? What are you doing here?" He looks so much worse than he does in the Iris messages. The bags under his eyes are darker and he looks like he hasn't eaten in days. Somehow I feel that it's my fault. And maybe it is in a way since I was the one who sent him in the direction of the Underworld last winter.

Before I can answer, Nico stomps over and tugs me away from them like a protective brother would. He glares at Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson. "They let my sister die!" His voice trembles with rage. His hand tightens around my arm that I'm sure if it wasn't for my healing abilities, I would have bruises. "They're here to kill me!"

I gasp. "They aren't going to kill you, Nico!"

Percy shakes his head. "We're not here to kill you. What happened with Bianca-"

Nico grips my arm tighter if that's even possible. "Don't speak her name! You aren't worthy to even talk about her!"

Percy opens his mouth to reply but Annabeth places a hand on his arm to make him be quiet. She turns towards Geryon. "Wait, how do you know our names?"

Geryon shrugs with all of his shoulders. "I keep it my business to be informed about everyone on my ranch, darlin'. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time and everyone needs something from ole Geryon." He glares at the blade in Nico's hand. "Now, Mr. di Angelo, put that... thing away before Eurytion takes it away from you."

He hesitates. Nico's eyes are still locked on Percy's every movement.

I tap his arm. Nico seems to realize how tight he is gripping me so he lets go. "Put the sword away, Nico." I tell him quietly.

He seems to want to argue, but he puts it back in his sheath. He glares at Percy. "If you dare come near me or Rina, Percy, I'll summon help. You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise." He threatens.

This is not my Nico. This is not the kind, polite boy that I saw in the Iris messages. It's like Percy's mere presence makes the worst come out of him. That's when it hits me. I know that if I were in Nico's place, I would act the same way, maybe even worse. Nico has the anger inside of him. Just like me.

Percy nods. "I believe you."

Geryon pats Nico's shoulders. I lean away from him, not realizing how close the strange man was to us. "There, we've all made nice. Now, come on. I want to give you a tour of the ranch." The smile on his face is like he has a secret that no one will ever know. For some reason I have the feeling to run far away from this ranch. I don't know much about this place, but I know enough that it isn't safe for any of us.

I just hope I get proven wrong.

* * *

><p>Nico almost forces me into the last car of the train with him. He's purposefully going out of his way to keep me away from the others. They crowd into the middle train-car while Geryon, Eurytion, and his dog sit in the front.<p>

Geryon starts to explain some of the things on the ranch while the others ask questions. I don't pay attention to anything that they say.

"Why are you with _them?_" Nico asks with venom.

I glare at him. "I'm on a quest and they're my friends. What are you doing _here_?" Nico looks away from me. He's hiding something from me. My face softens. "What aren't you telling me?" I ask.

He doesn't answer. Instead he takes out a small knife in a leather sheath. I remember it well. It's my knife. I hold it gingerly in my hands. It looks a lot cleaner now than when I first got it. The knife shines in the light more and seems sharper.

"You probably want this back. I... uh... had it shined and sharpened by some professionals in the Underworld." Nico mutters quietly. He glances back at Percy and the others. Obviously he is very paranoid that Percy and the others are going to do something.

"Thanks, Nico." I tell him. Nico nods then pays attention to Geryon give the tour of the rest of the ranch.

Geryon points towards the cherry colored cows. "And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows. Wonderful creatures."

"So many." Grover muses.

Geryon shrugs. "Yeah, well Apollo is too busy to see them. Being a god and all. So he subcontracts us. We breed them vigorously because they have such a high demand."

The smile falls from Grover's face. "High demand for what?" He asks. He leans back in the train car as if he's terrified of the answer.

Geryon raises an eyebrow. He lets out an almost evil chuckle. "Meat! Of course! Armies have to eat, y'know."

I gasp loudly. Geryon twists in his seat to give me a sly grin. Grover nearly faints in his seat. If only Apollo knew what they are doing to his cows... let's just say that it would be worse than his fury on Demeter when she 'accidentally' made his sun chariot family friendly. Four doors, soccer mom van with cup holders specially made for cereal bowls. She even had wheat grow from the dashboard.

Nico sits forward in his seat. "I don't care about any of this. We have business to discuss, Geryon, and this definitely isn't it!" He avoids eye contact with me because he knows that I'm going to ask him what this is all about.

Geryon waves his hand like it's nothing. "All in good time. Be patient, Mr. di Angelo." He points towards a fence with mock enthusiasm. "Oh, look! Some of my more exotic game."

I look over to see a bunch of scorpions; the ones that we fought in the woods back at camp.

Percy looks at the strange man. "Your mark was on some crates back at camp. Quintus got those scorpions from you, didn't he?"

"Quintus... Short grey hair, muscular, swordsman?" Geryon muses like it's an old joke.

"Yeah, that's him." I say. I'm so tempted to stab him in the neck. If Eurytion wasn't sitting next to him, I sure I would.

"Never heard of him." Geryon snaps. "Now look over there, Aikarina. Those are my prized stables. Aren't they a sight?"

I gag on the disgusting smell. To our right are a hundred flesh-eating horses wading in piles of horse poop. It is so strong that my nose takes a dive into the collar of my shirt, but it still isn't enough to block out the horrendous stench.

Nico squeezes his nose shut. His voice sounds nasally and muffled. "What is that?" He almost yells in surprise.

"My stables!" Geryon exclaims. Somehow he can stand the smell. In fact I think he might like it because I see him take in several deep breaths. "Well, technically they belong to Aegis but we watch over them for a monthly fee. Aren't they just lovely? Such graceful creatures."

"They're disgusting." Annabeth mutters. She holds her hand over her nose, but based on her grimace, it isn't blocking the stench.

"Lots of poop." Tyson states the obvious.

"How can you keep animals like that?" Grover and I both cry out at the same time.

Geryon glowers at us. "Careful. Y'all are getting on my nerves. These are flesh-eating horses. And if you knew anything about flesh-eating horses, then you would know that they like these conditions."

Eurytion pulls his hat down on his face like he is sleeping. "That and you're too cheap to get the stalls properly clean. Gods know I'm not doing it."

"Quiet!" He snaps. "So, I admit, the stables are challenging to clean. Perhaps they make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But who cares? What's the big deal? My clients pay me well, so I put up with it."

Percy places two hands down on the edge of the seat. "What clients?" He demands forcefully.

Geryon shrugs. "Oh, you would be very surprised, Percy Jackson. A lot of people are willing to pay for a couple of flesh-eating horses. They are great garbage disposals. Good way to terrify your enemy. Also, fantastic at birthday parties! Always a good conversation starter. They have tons of uses so of course we rent them out all the time."

"You're a monster." Annabeth snarls.

He suddenly stops the train. We lurch forward at the sudden stop. Geryon turns around with a terrifying grin on his face. "Was it the three bodies that give it away?"

Grover points towards the ranch. I have never seen him so passionate about a topic, but then again, Percy has warned me to never get in an argument with Grover about poison ivy vs. poison oak. "You have to let these animals go! It isn't right for them to be cooped up here!" Grover says. He waves his hands wildly around him as he talks.

Annabeth narrows her eyes at the monster. "And the clients you are talking about. You're working for Kronos, aren't you? You're supplying him with horses, food, whatever they need. You sicken me." She spits out.

Geryon shrugs indifferently. Her words didn't even put a chip in the wall that is his ego. "I work for anyone with gold, young lady. Who can blame me? I'm a businessman! And I sell them anything I have to offer, as long as they have the money." He gets out of the train and walks towards the stables, breathing in the air. The rest of us still are covering our noses and breathing out of our mouths.

Nico pushes out of the train car angrily. Eurytion gets out too and follows him as Nico stomps towards Geryon. "If you're such a businessman, then let's do business. That's why I'm here!" Nico jabs a finger towards Geryon.

"Yes, you'll get a deal all right." Geryon mutters under his breath.

"My ghost told me that you can guide me to the soul I need."

"You're talking to ghosts?" I gasp at the same time Percy blurts out, "I'm not the soul you want?" Our words mixed together in a jumble of syllables. Geryon raises an eyebrow at us. Nico looks at us confused, obviously not catching what we said.

I look away from him angrily. How can he talk to ghosts? Sure he is the son of the God of the Dead, but ghosts are untrustworthy. If he had told me what he was doing, then I would have been able to tell him that. They only have their own agenda: past grudges, unfinished business. They manipulate people to do what they want and usually lead them to an early death.

I cross my arms over my chest and instead concentrate on my shoes.

"So, I'm not the soul you want?" Percy repeats.

Nico looks at Percy like he's stupid. "Why would I want you? Bianca's soul is worth more than a thousand of you! Now, can you help me or not, Geryon?"

Geryon twists his mustache between two fingers like an evil villain would in a children's movie. "Oh, I do image that I could. Where is your ghost friend, by the way?"

Nico shifts on his feet uneasily. "He can't form in daylight, but he's around here somewhere"

Geryon chuckles. "Yes, Minos likes to disappear when things get difficult."

My head shoots up. I'm staring daggers right into Nico's soul. He flinches like he feels each one of my imaginary blades stab into him. "Minos? _King _Minos? Nico, I can't believe you! You cannot trust him!" I shout.

Nico looks down at the ground. For a second he looks ashamed but then he looks back at Geryon. "What do you mean by things getting difficult?"

Geryon sighs. He places one of his several hands on Nico's shoulders. He tries to shrug him off, but Geryon has a tight grip. "You see, my dear Nico– can I call you Nico?"

Nico glares at him. "No."

Geryon continues anyways. "So, Nico. Luke Castellan is offering good money for halfbloods. Especially powerful halfbloods. And I'm very sure that when he learns who you truly are, he will be wheel barreling gold to me." His eyes flicker towards me. "And maybe little Aikarina, too. There isn't a precedent for people of her condition, but I'm sure they will pay even more for her. I can only imagine the gold now." He comments wistfully.

Nico draws his sword but Eurytion knocks it out of his hand. Before anyone can do anything, Orthus jumps on Percy's chest. He licks his lips as if wondering what halfblood tastes like, but I'm sure the dog is more than familiar with the taste.

Geryon holds up his hand as Tyson, Grover, Annabeth, and I start to get up to help him. "I would stay in your cars if you don't want Mr. Jackson's throat torn out. Such a miserable way to die. Now, Eurytion, will you be so kind to secure Nico." He looks at me thoughtfully, as if he's weighing his choices. "Also take Aikarina. I'm sure one less person on the quest won't be too big of a deal."

Eurytion spits into the grass. "Do I have to?" He half whines.

Geryon growls. "Yes, you fool! And get rid of that sword. Nothing worse than Stygian Iron." His lips curl up in distaste.

Eurytion picks up Nico like a wrestler. When he walks towards me, I consider fighting back but then I remember the strong pair of teeth that are inches from Percy's neck. As much as I want to fight back and escape, I know that I can't condemn my friend like that. So when Eurytion picks me up and slings me over his shoulder like a sack of flour, I stay still and fight all my instincts to free myself.

"Now," Geryon says so cheerfully that you would think that he won the lottery, "we've finished the tour. Let's go back to the lodge and Iris message our Titan friends."

Annabeth's fists clench. "You fiend! You... you... go to the crows!"

He smiles cruelly. He enjoys seeing her so angry. "Don't worry, Annabeth. You and your friends are free to go, except for Aikarina. I've been paid well for your safe passage."

Annabeth's eyebrows come together in concentration. "Paid for, by whom?

Geryon laughs. "Never mind that, darlin'. Let's be off, shall we?" He motions for Eurytion to come with him.

"Wait!" Percy shouts. Orthus growls and brings his teeth closer to Percy. "You said that you're a businessman, so make me a deal!" He pleads.

Geryon narrows his eyes suspiciously, but I can see that Percy has his interest. "What sort of deal are you talking about? Do you have gold?"

"I've got something better."

He snorts. "What's better than gold?"

"Barter!"

Geryon snorts again. "But Mr. Jackson, you have nothing."

"You could have him clean the stables." Eurytion offers innocently. I seriously consider punching him in the face.

"I'll do it!" Percy agrees immediately. "If I fail then you get all of us. Trade us all to Luke for gold."

Geryon tilts his head thoughtfully. "Assuming that the horses don't eat you."

"Either way you get my friends." Percy says. He sounds so sure of himself. "But if I succeed, you let all of us go. _Including_ Rina and Nico."

Geryon makes several tut noises. "Those stables haven't been cleaned in about a thousand years. All that muck builds up. But it is true that with all the dung takes up a lot of space. If it's gone, then I can rent out even more stable space!"

Percy almost smiles. He knows that he has Geryon right where he wants him. "So what do you have to lose?"

He hesitates, and for a minute I thought that he was going to decline. "I accept your offer, but you must get it done by sunset or I become a lot richer."

"Deal."

Geryon nods approvingly. "I'm going to take your friends with me to the lodge. We will wait for you there." Eurytion places us into the train and drives us back to the lodge, leaving Percy behind to clean up all the poop.

* * *

><p>"Ow!" I wince. Eurytion mutters out an apology but continues to tie my wrists to my ankles. "Do you think you could loosen it a little? I'm losing feeling in my fingers." I tell him.<p>

Eurytion shakes his head. "No can do. Don't want to chance you getting free." He grabs a piece of fabric and ties it around my mouth so that I can speak. I mumble out several threats like 'I will cast a love curse on you so strong that you will forever be lonely' and 'When I get out, you better watch your back because I will be there with a knife'. But I'm sure if I could say them properly, the Son of Ares still wouldn't feel any more threatened than he feels now.

Nico looks at me with pleading eyes. "Rina, I'm so- ow!" He exclaims when Eurytion ties his wrists to his ankles in a similar way that I'm tied. "I didn't tell you about the ghost because I didn't want you to be in danger because of me. This was for me and only me to do. Please, Rina..." The rest of the words come out garbled because Eurytion tied a piece of fabric around his mouth.

He moves on to the others. Eurytion even has a special cord to tie Tyson up. Next he takes out a lot of party supplies from a supply closet. Geryon starts up a grill and makes barbeque. He hums quietly to himself as he flips burgers.

Annabeth turns the best she can to look at me. "Mmmrggbbbs mrggg mbbrrg." She looks up at the table a couple of feet from us. There our weapons are placed in an orderly stack. "Mrggbb mrgbbvvv mggrr." She tells me like she expects me to understand.

"Quit being so loud!" Geryon shouts at us. He hangs some streamers on the railing while keeping a close eye on the barbeque. The way he is doing it is as if it is a delicate art that takes time to be perfect. "I'm trying to make this place more decorative." Eurytion mumbles something under his breath. He leans back and picks dirt under his fingernails with his knife. Geryon tries to force him to help him decorate, but Eurytion just ignores him. He doesn't stop until Orthus growls at him.

Annabeth starts making loud noises. Eurytion takes the gag off of her mouth so that he can hear what she has to say. She gasps. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Eurytion raises an eyebrow. "That's it?"

She nods. "Yes. I have to go _really_ bad." So she's going for the bathroom distraction. It's a classic.

Eurytion shrugs and starts to gag her again but Annabeth moves her head. "Do you really want me to pee, here on the floor? Especially when you will have guests coming over? That will just be a bad representation of what your ranch is about. They will get the wrong idea and won't think of this place as a respectable establishment."

Eurytion looks back at Geryon for permission. He thinks for several moments the nods. "Yes, yes. She has a point. Eurytion, take the girl to the bathroom."

Eurytion picks her up and Annabeth's eyes widen. "Wait, you're not coming in there with me!" She commands.

" 'Course not. Just making sure that you don't get any ideas and escaping." He says. They disappear around the corner out of ear-shot.

Geryon turns his back on his to concentrate on grilling his burgers to perfection. Now's my chance. I inch towards the table as quietly as possible. Nico's shaking his head wildly but doesn't make any noise that could draw attention. Grover and Tyson seem to agree with him, but I don't listen. It's now or never.

The table is low enough so that if I hit it with enough force, I can knock it over with the weapons. This is going to be noisy so I will have to work fast.

I slam into the table and send tipping over. The weapons scatter around. Geryon turns around and I only have several moments. My hands grab my knife and I cut the rope around my ankles. I then cut the rope by my hands. I'm just about to get up when Geryon's foot collides with my face.

I let out a cry of pain. My nose feels like it's on fire. Hot liquid flows down my face. I drop the knife and force my nose back into place with a loud crack.

"You broke my nose!" I spit out.

Geryon glares at me. "You broke my table."

Eurytion bursts into the room with a tied up Annabeth over his shoulder to see what the commotion is about. He sets her down and grabs me.

Geryon returns to his grill like nothing happened. "Take her to the Iron Maiden."

Eurytion shifts on his feet nervously. "You sure?"

He nods. "Just don't put the needles in. Don't want her dead before the guests arrive." He smirks at me. "Fun fact, the Iron Maiden was never actually used as a torture device, but it is very good at keeping pesky people in one place."

Eurytion drags me into the house. In the living room there are dozens of hunting trophies ranging from lions to baby deer. It's sickening. In the corner of the room is a tall Iron Maiden, thankfully without the spikes in it. He gently pushes me in and puts a large padlock on the door.

I hear him lean against the door. "Your father was a good man and a brave hero. The best of this time. I'm sorry that he had to go." Several seconds later he walks away, leaving me in the very dark, metal contraption.

I yell in irritation. No matter how hard I slam on the metal trap around me, nothing happens. I'm going to be in here for a while.

* * *

><p>I blink my eyes at the sudden light. I feel some hands pull me out of the Iron Maiden. My eyes adjust to see Nico, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson staring at me with wide eyes. I guess they expect me to break down.<p>

Nico smiles, for the first time in a while. He hands me my knife and my purse, which I willingly take.

Annabeth grabs a water bottle and wets a piece of torn fabric. "You have blood all over your face." She reaches forward to clean my face off but I shake my head. I feel a pull in my gut. The dried blood on my face falls off in little specks. Gross, but at least my face is clean again. Her eyes grow wide momentarily, but she quickly recovers. "I'm so sorry. I thought that maybe you could get the weapons and..."

Nico scowls at her. "Geryon could've killed her!"

I place a hand on his arm. "It's not her fault. I didn't have to do it, but someone had to try something. I wasn't going to sit in the corner all day."

We walk back to the porch. Eurytion is just sitting back, watching the sky. He doesn't care that we escaped.

I sigh and face Nico who is staring at me intensely. "I'm fine." I poke my nose and wince slightly. Still tender but mostly healed. "I healed."

He opens his mouth, I assume to ask how, but then closes it. Nico nods once in approval. It doesn't seem to matter, as long as I'm okay. He turns towards Percy. "Can we tie up the cowherd now?" For once he isn't glaring at Percy, but I'm not sure how long that is going to last.

Grover stomps his hoof on the floorboards. "Yeah! And that dog tried to kill me too."

Eurytion pats Orthus on the two heads. He looks completely relaxed.

Percy looks at him. "How long until Geryon reforms?"

He shrugs. Eurytion takes out a knife and throws it up in the air. He catches it with ease. "Hundred years. Fortunately he isn't one of those fast reforming monsters. Y'all did me a huge favor."

Percy is not done with his mini interrogation. "You said that you died for him before. How does that work?"

"I've worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as your average, cookie-cutter halfblood but I chose immortality when dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would change my mind. Now I'm forever stuck on this ranch. I can't leave. I can't quit. I only tend the cows and fight Geryon's fights. We're kind of tied together, no matter how much I hate it."

"Maybe you can change things." Percy says confidently.

Eurytion narrows his eyes. He sheaths his knife and leans forward in his spot. "How?"

"Well, for one, be kind to the animals." Grover says.

Percy nods. "Yeah, actually take care of them. Stop selling them for food and stop selling them to the Titans."

Eurytion tilts his head thoughtfully. "Yeah, that would be alright."

"Get the animals on your side," Percy says. ", and they will help you. And maybe when Geryon finally reforms, you will be his boss."

He smiles so big that it covers his whole face. "Now _that_ I can live with."

"You won't stop us from leaving?" Annabeth asks.

Eurytion slaps his knee like that's a funny joke. "Shoot no! Like I said, you guys did me a favor."

Annabeth rubs her bruised wrists. I glance down at mine and feel strangely guilty when I see none. "Your boss said someone paid for our safe passage. Who was it?" Annabeth asks. She narrows her eyes dangerously, warning him to lie to her.

Eurytion shrugs. "I don't have any idea. Maybe he just said it to mess with you. Wouldn't be the first time he did it to whoever passes through the ranch."

Percy glances at Nico. "What about the Titans? Did he ever Iris message them about who Nico's father is?"

He shakes his head. "He was waiting for after the barbeque. They have no clue about him."

Nico burns figurative holes in Percy's face. Percy sees somewhat off put by it, but he does a good job hiding his discomfort. "You could stay here until after we're done with the quest. You would be safe." Percy tells him.

Nico scoffs at him. "Safe? What do you care about me being safe? You got my sister killed!"

I touch his arm to calm him down but Nico slinks away from me. Annabeth sighs. "That wasn't Percy's fault. And Geryon wasn't lying about telling the Titans who you are, really. If he did, then he would do anything to get you on his side."

He squares his shoulders. "I'm not on anyone's side and I am definitely not afraid."

Annabeth reaches out for him, but then thinks twice about it. She moves back to her original spot. "You should be. Your sister wouldn't want-"

"If you cared about my sister then you would help me bring her back!"

My eyes widen at what he is implying. "A soul for a soul." I mumble but everyone hears me. I look up at the Son of Hades. "You do realize how dangerous that is, right? Please tell me you at least know the risks."

I'm literally the only person in the group that Nico doesn't glare at like I'm the enemy. Nico frowns. "I know all about it. He told me everything. So, are you going to help me or not?"

Percy looks slightly confused. "But if you don't want my soul then who..."

Nico blinks back several tears. "I'm... I'm not explaining anything to you." He stammers. "I _will_ bring her back."

I shake my head. "Bianca wouldn't want that. She wouldn't want to be brought back."

Nico stares at me with shocked eyes. "You don't know what she wants!" He yells. By now several free tears are racing down his face. "You didn't know her, so stop talking like you did!"

I take a step forward. I clench my hands in frustration. "I didn't have to! She doesn't want that! _Nobody_ would want to be brought back that way! Only the cruelest and evilest would!" I yell back. "I mean, who wants to be responsible for another person's death?"

"A person that _cheated_ death!" Nico yells back.

"It's still a person!"

Percy steps between us to keep us from going at each other's necks. "Stop it! Both of you. Let's just ask Bianca then." He seems so calm and collect, unlike me. I already feel the anger trying to burst out of its cage and rush through my veins. I have to cool off.

I turn around and run my hands through my hair. I then take several deep breaths before turning back around to face them.

"I've tried." Nico says. He looks miserable. "She won't come."

"I have a feeling she'll answer with me here." Percy says.

Nico glares at the Son of Poseidon. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she's been sending me Iris messages. Bianca has been warning me what you're up to. She wants me to protect you."

Nico shakes his head. "That's impossible."

"Yeah, Percy, I've never known of the dead sending Iris messages. I don't think it's even possible." I tell him.

Percy shrugs. "Only one way to find out. Nico, you said yourself that you're not afraid." He turns to Eurytion. "We're going to need a pit and food and drinks."

Annabeth looks warily between the two. "I don't think that this is a good-"

"I'll do it." Nico interrupts.

Eurytion scratches his beard. He points towards the back of the house. "There is a hole out back for the septic tank. Cyclops boy, fetch my ice chest from the kitchen. I hope the dead likes root beer."

* * *

><p>Nico and I made an unspoken truce. We walked together to the back of house in silence, but it was like we never fought. Neither of us mention anything about the words we shouted angrily at each other.<p>

We all are standing around the pit, waiting for Nico to do something, but he just stands there looking for something... or someone.

"It's full dark. Minos should've been here by now." Nico frowns.

"Maybe he got lost." Percy says hopefully and honestly I hope that is the case as well. King Minos is not someone I want to be in the same room with.

Nico shrugs. "I'll just start." He takes off the cap of the root beer and pours it into the hole. He then takes a plate of hamburgers and throws it on top of the puddle of root beer. Then he does something I didn't expect. Nico starts to chant something in Greek. He's speaking too fast for me to pick out any of the words.

The temperature drops ten degrees. The forming shadows look suspiciously like human shadows. It seems as if the earth went to sleep. All the bugs that were out only seconds ago mysteriously disappear. A mist rises from the pit and dances around our feet.

A shadow near me turns a dark blue. It begins to go towards the offering.

Nico's eyes grow wide. "Stop him! Only Bianca may drink!"

Percy draws his sword. Immediately the other ghosts back away in fear, but it's too late for the first ghost. It bends down and drinks from the frothy puddle of root beer and burnt hamburgers. The shadow becomes clearer to an old man in white robes. He has a golden laurel on his head and his eyes are hollow with malice.

"Minos! What are you doing?" Nico grinds his teeth.

He bows slightly. "My apologies, master. The sacrifice just smelled so good and... well I couldn't resist. I am only man." King Minos looks down at his hands. He smiles. "It's good to finally see myself. Almost in solid form-"

Nico frowns. "You are disrupting the ritual. Get..." He pauses. The ghosts surrounding us are dangerously bright. It's making me feel like I'm trapped in a cage. Nico chants again to keep them away, which Minos seems to find amusing.

"Yes, quite right. I've only came to protect you from those _liars_ who try to deceive you. I'm protecting you, my master." King Minos says. He turns to Percy. His ghostly lips curl in disgust. "Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon. My, my. The offspring of Poseidon certainly hasn't improved over the centuries. I assume that's only expected."

Percy waves his sword at a ghost, which sends it back. "Get lost. We just want Bianca."

The ghost chuckles like it's a hilarious inside joke. He glances at me with a large smirk. "Is that Aikarina? Tyler's child." He says Tyler like it's a terrible disease. "He always had a big ego. Said that he will only go by his first name because it's much more memorable to just go by Tyler than... whatever his last name is. Like Hercules. You never hear about his last name. I presume you're not much different. He rots in the Fields of Punishment. His cries can be heard from the other side of the Underworld. I can assure you that his punishment is one I would only wish upon my greatest enemies."

Tears prick my eyes but I quickly blink them away. The temporary moment of sadness is replaced with a strong feeling of anger. What gives him the right to talk to me like this? I consider charging him with my sword, and it is very tempting, but I don't think my blade would work on him.

He turns back to Percy. "I understand that you killed the Minotaur with your bare hands. An impressive feat. But worse things await you in the maze. I'm sure of that. Do you really believe that Daedalus will help you?" King Minos scoffs. "He cares not for any halfblood. You cannot trust the man. He is old but cunning. Daedalus is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods themselves."

"The guilt of murder. Who did he kill?" Percy asks.

King Minos snarls at him like a wild animal. "Do not change the subject! You are hindering Nico. He can do great things, but you are all in his way. You try to persuade him to give up his goal. _I_, and I alone can make him a lord! Someone worthy of respect!"

Nico stops his chanting. The ghosts are enough at bay that he can. "Enough, Minos." He commands.

Minos sneers at us. He regards each of us with cold, dead eyes. "These are your enemies. Can't you see? You must not listen to them! Let me protect you! I will turn their minds to madness like I did the others."

"Others?" I gasp. "Are you talking about Chris Rodriguez? You did that to him?"

Minos raises his nose proudly. "The maze is my property, no matter it is under my palace or across the United States. All who enter deserve to be driven to madness."

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demands. He looks absolutely furious. "I want to see my sister."

The look on King Minos's face is pure rage. He takes in a deep breath, even though ghosts don't need to breathe, and immediately calms down. His face turns stony like a statue. "As you wish, master. But I do warn you, you cannot trust these heroes." He takes a step back and fades into the mist.

Other spirits start to come forward by Annabeth and Percy keep them away. I bring a hand up to my cheek to realize that I am crying.

"Are you okay?" Grover asks. He clings to Tyson's shoulder like it's a lifeline.

"He... my father..." I suck in a deep breath. "I'm fine." I wipe my tears away and put on a brave face. Grover doesn't look like he believes me, but he learned his lesson about prying into my past when I snapped at him about Hera.

"Bianca! Appear!" Nico yells. He chants his incantation faster than before. The ghosts move restlessly around us. It's like we're in the middle of a tornado. Then it stops. In the woods I see a silver spirit walk gracefully over to us. I feel an aura of comfort come over me. This ghost is good. This one is kind. It kneels and drinks from the puddle. The silvery shape morphs into the figure of Bianca di Angelo.

Nico falters and the ghosts start to come forward. The form becomes clear. Bianca holds up her hands and the other ghosts disappear into the shadows in a wave of power.

"Hello Percy." She says.

I see Percy blink back several tears. "I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. I made my choice. I don't regret it at all."

Nico stumbles forward. His face is a mix of hopefulness and depression. "Bianca..." He breathes out.

Bianca turns towards her brother. She smiles sadly. "Hello Nico. You've gotten so tall."

I see that Nico's hands are shaking. His legs look like they're on the edge of collapsing. "Why didn't you answer me before? I've tried for months and you never came."

She looks away. "I was hoping that you would give up."

It was like his heart broke in two. "Give up? How can you even say that? Bianca, I'm trying to save you."

"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. They're right. Rina is right, and so is Percy." She tells him.

Nico shakes his head wildly. "No! Percy let you die!"

She stretches out her hands, as if to touch his cheek. But once her hand touches his cheek, it evaporates into a silvery mist. She pulls her hand away slowly. Bianca looks so sad that she can't touch him. "You must listen to me. Holding a grudge is very dangerous for a Child of Hades. There is no doubt in my mind that is our fatal flaw. We have to forgive. You have to promise me this, Nico."

Nico shakes his head. "I can't. I never can. Not after what he did."

Bianca looks at her brother with a sad expression. "Percy has been terribly worried about you. I let him see what you were up to, hoping that he would find you. I'm glad he did."

Nico curls his fists. "You were helping him and not me!" He screams. "It's not fair!"

"You are so close to the truth now. It's not Percy you're mad at, it's me." She tells him.

Several tears stream down Nico's face. "No." He mutters.

Bianca nods slowly. "You're mad that I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you alone. I'm sorry for that. I never meant to leave. I'm truly sorry, Nico. But you must overcome this anger. You must stop blaming Percy for my choices. It will be your doom if you don't."

"She's right." Annabeth breaks the atmosphere like a knife cutting through butter. "Kronos is rising. He'll twist anyone he can to his cause."

Nico doesn't look away from Bianca. "I don't care about Kronos. I just want my sister."

"You can't have that, Nico." Bianca tells him gently.

Nico sets his lips into a straight line. "I'm a Son of Hades! I _can_!"

Bianca reaches out for him again. "Don't try. If you love me, don't try."

The ghosts gather around us again, but this time they aren't trying to get to the root beer. They circle around us whispering things like _danger _and _he's coming_. This seems to make Bianca very anxious.

She glances around us at the other spirits. "Tartarus stirs. Your power draws the attention of Kronos. We must return to the Underworld. We cannot stay any longer."

"Wait." Nico croaks. "Please-"

"Goodbye. I love you. Please remember what I said"

Bianca slowly disappears along with the rest of the ghosts, leaving Nico even more broken than before.

* * *

><p>I knock on Nico's door. I hear a shuffling but no effort to go towards the door. Despite not getting permission, I walk inside.<p>

"Nico, how are you?" I ask. He turns over in the bed. His eyes are red from crying and there are tear stains on his cheek.

Nico frowns. "About as good as anyone could be after they saw their dead sister." He mutters. I hand him a bowl of ice cream that I found in the freezer. It's pink and I'm sure it's from Apollo's sacred cow. I just hope that Eurytion doesn't mind.

We sit there in silence. Nico eats his ice cream slowly. It must taste good because he doesn't stop.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.

He shakes his head.

"Do you want me to leave?"

Nico shakes his head again.

Again there is a long moment of silence. It's endless and doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. I look around the guest room. The walls are a dark red and the floor is hardwood. The only furniture in here is the bed and a dresser. On the walls are pictures of Geryon, Eurytion, and people who I don't know. They must be previous 'guests'.

Nico puts down the bowl of ice cream on the dresser. "Can you umm..." Nico stutters. "Can you stay with me? I... I don't want to be alone."

I nod and say yes. I lay down on the bed next to Nico and fall asleep. Several times during the night I hear him crying. I would just hug him and lull him back to sleep.

Poor Nico. He was so driven by the hope of his sister being brought back that he didn't have time to mourn her properly. It must hit him now that his sister is never coming back. That must be incredibly hard since he knows a way to bring Bianca back the living. But he will recover. Nico is strong and he will get over this. He has to, otherwise it will crush him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you for the reviews and favorites! It makes me smile to see that someone took the time out of their day to review. Thank you so much! I love you all!**

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><p>I peer down the hole to the Labyrinth. Last night I was eager to get the quest over with, but now I'm not too keen on going back into the maze. Somehow I'm more scared to return to the maze then I was when the quest began.<p>

"Nico, you could come with us." Percy blurts out.

Nico shakes his head. When he woke up he found a black robe that belonged to Geryon. It's way too big from him and the bottoms are full of dried mud from walking around the ranch. Luckily for me, I brought some spare clothes in my purse so I didn't have to put on my sweaty shirt and shorts again.

"I need time to think." He says. Nico looked down at the ground with dark eyes.

Annabeth places a hand on his shoulder but he flinches away. "Nico, Bianca wants you to be okay." She tells him. He doesn't respond.

Nico starts to go back to the ranch but then turns around to face me. "Don't die. Please don't. You're the only person I have left." He begged.

I give him a reassuring smile. "I promise that nothing will happen to me."

He nods but it looks like he's already preparing himself for my death. Nico walks up the path, towards the ranch. The morning mist clings to the ends of his robe like hands.

Annabeth plays with the hilt of her knife. "I'm worried about him. If he starts talking to Minos or any other ghost again..."

"He won't." I say confidently. Percy nods in agreement.

She looks at me with doubt. "You can't know that for sure."

Eurytion glances at me. "He'll be alright. I'll make sure of it. The boy can stay here and gather his thoughts for as long as he likes. He'll be safe, I promise."

"What about you?" Percy asks. He's worried that Eurytion is going to keep treating the animals like he used to.

He scratches his chin. I didn't notice before, but he trimmed his beard. It looks better now. "Things are going to be run differently. First of all, no more sacred meat. Maybe some soybean patties instead. And I'm going to befriend the flesh-eating horses. Then possibly I can join the next rodeo."

I shudder at the thought of Eurytion riding a flesh-eating horse in the middle of a rodeo. Terrifying.

"Well, good luck." Percy says.

Eurytion nods. "Yep. I reckon that y'all be looking for Daedalus's workshop now?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up like a million Christmas trees. "You know where it is?"

He shakes his head and Annabeth shrinks back. "I have no idea where it is, but I know someone who might. Daedalus was a great inventor, so I'm sure Hephaestus knows where it is."

"That's what Hera said when she visited us in the maze." Annabeth says. She kicks up dirt with her shoe. "But how do we find him?"

Eurytion pulls something from around his neck. It's a necklace with a small, metal disk on the chain. The disk has an impression in the middle that fits a thumb perfectly. He hands it to Annabeth who flips it over several times to get a better look at it. She analyzes it with her cold, grey eyes, taking in every detail.

"Hephaestus comes here from time to time." He tells us. "Studies the animals so he can make automaton copies. Last time he came... I uh... did him a favor. Wanted to play a trick on my dad and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said that if I ever need him that the disk would lead me to his forges. But only once, so don't lose it."

Annabeth looks up at the cowherd with wide eyes. "And you're giving it to me?"

I swear that under the large-brim hat, Eurytion blushes. "I don't need the forges, miss. Got enough to do here as it is. Just press that little button and you'll be on your way."

She presses the button. For a second nothing happens, but then it sprouts eight metallic legs. Annabeth shrieks, drops it, and jumps back three feet. "Spider! I touched a spider!" She screams. Annabeth takes out her dagger and holds it in front of her.

"She's afraid of spiders. You know, the old grudge between Athena and Arachne." Grover explains to Eurytion.

Eurytion blushes again. He tips his hat at her. "Sorry, miss."

The spider crawls through the cattle guard and into the Labyrinth.

"We should hurry. I don't think it's going to wait for us." Percy says. Tyson rips off the cattle guard and we jump into the hole. I look up to see Annabeth still standing there.

"Do you think that there is another way to get to Hephaestus's forge? Maybe a way that doesn't involve a spider?" She asks. The fact that she isn't rushing to follow the spider to the forge just shows how terrified she is of the creatures.

"It's the only way. Hurry or we'll lose it." I tell her.

Annabeth reluctantly gets in the hole. We run after the spider but it's so fast. Most of the time it is so far ahead that I can't see it. Whenever we lose sight of it, Tyson and Grove would listen for it and we would run that direction. Without them, we would've been terribly lost.

We reach a room where there is a dark hole with only metal rings to go across. The spider jumps from bar to bar, not bothering to wait for us.

Annabeth smirks. "Monkey bars. I'm great at these."

I scowl at the rusty death-trap. "I just hope we don't get tetanus from this thing." I reach up and grab the bar. As fast as I can, I make my way across the hole. I don't trust these bars so I won't dare stay on them for longer than I have to.

Tyson gives Grover a piggy back ride across. It's impressive how many rungs he can skip in a single swing. Tyson reaches across and manage to do three at a time. When he jumps down on the platform, the last metal rung breaks. Good thing he got off when he could.

We continue to run after the spider. Percy slips on a bunch of wood pieces. I look down to see that they're pencils. Thousands of broken pencils. Percy and I share a concerned look. This doesn't look good at all. Grover looks even more terrified than he already is at the pencils.

We enter a large room and a blazing light hits us with such force that I take a step back. When my eyes adjust to the sudden light, I glance around at my surroundings. Skeletons everywhere. Some are old with only their clothes on their bones. Others are... newer. In the middle of the room is a woman with the body of a lion. Her hair is tied up in a tight bun and has green eye shadow on. The part of me that is Aphrodite comes out. If she used a neutral brown color instead of the ghastly green, it would highlight her eyes perfectly. And also, she could do without such a bold color lipstick. It doesn't look good on her at all.

Tyson whimpers. "Sphinx." He mutters.

Annabeth steps forward. The sphinx lets out a roar that doesn't sound natural coming out of her mouth. Bars fall over the doorways, effectively locking us in. The sphinx gives us a stunning smile, showing us her huge fangs. "Get ready to play... ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!"

From a speaker behind us comes a pre-recorded applause. Multicolored spotlights dance around the room wildly. It looks like a bad tv show. And growing up in Olympus, I have seen plenty. Now all they show up there are reality shows that lack any emotion. Pitiful, actually.

"Fabulous prizes!" The sphinx says in a tv show-like voice. "Pass the test and I allow you to advance on. Fail and I get to eat you! Now, which of you lovely children will be the contestant?" She raises an expecting eyebrow.

Annabeth turns towards us. "I've got this. I _know_ which riddle she's going to ask." Annabeth steps forward to the contestant podium. She has to push the skeleton out of the way so that she can stand behind it.

The sphinx grins. "Welcome Annabeth Chase! Are you ready for your test?"

She nods confidently. "Yes. Ask your riddle."

"Twenty riddles, actually!" The sphinx says so gleefully that I'm sure if she had normal hands, she would be clapping in excitement.

Annabeth's mouth drops. "Twenty?" She exclaims incredulously. "But in the past-"

"Oh! We're raised our standards." The sphinx interrupts. "To pass, you must answer twenty correctly. Isn't this just great?"

The applause goes off as if it's the best thing in the world.

Annabeth squares her shoulders. "Alright then. I'm ready. Ask your twenty riddles."

A drumroll sounds but I can't seem to find the drum. It's a pre-recorded noise like the applause. "What... is the capital of Bulgaria?" The sphinx is barely able to hide the excitement in her voice.

Annabeth's eyebrows come together in confusion. "Sofia... but what...?"

"Correct!" The sphinx yells. The room fills with fake applause. Out of the corner of my eye I see Tyson clapping along, encouraging Annabeth. "Please make sure to mark the bubble on your test sheet clearly and with a number 2 pencil. The machine won't pick up anything other than that." The sphinx giggles.

Annabeth's face falls slack in disbelief. A test booklet with a sharpened pencil appears in front of her.

"Make sure to fill the bubble completely and stay inside the circle." The sphinx says like a kind parent reminding their child to do something. "If you have to erase, then erase completely. If you don't, then the machine won't be able to read your answers. And nobody wants that."

"What machine?" Annabeth asks.

The sphinx gestures her paw to the corner of the room. A large spotlight shines over a box with gears sticking out of it. On the side of the machine is the symbol of Hephaestus.

"Next question!" The sphinx exclaims.

Annabeth holds up her hand to stop her. "Wait just one second! What ever happened to the old riddle?" She sees the sphinx's clear confusion. Annabeth sighs. "You know, the one about 'What walks on four legs in the morning'?"

The sphinx raises an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?" She says, sounding truly insulted.

"You riddle about the man! He walks on four legs in the morning, like a baby. Two legs in the afternoon and three at night, like an old man with a cane." Annabeth places her hands on her hips. "_That's_ the riddle you're supposed to ask. Or at least used to."

The sphinx growls softly. "Exactly why the test was changed! You already knew the answer! What point would it be if everyone knew all the answers? Now, enough! Next question. What's the square root of sixteen?"

"Four, but-"

"Right! Which president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?" The sphinx doesn't give her any time to talk. She's just firing off questions.

"Abraham Lincoln, but-"

"Correct! Riddle number four: how much-"

"Hold up!" Annabeth shouts over the sphinx. "Those aren't riddles." She says in a much quieter voice.

The sphinx bares its fangs. "What do you mean? Of course they are! This test has been specially designed-"

"It's just a bunch of dumb, random facts!" Annabeth exclaims. "Riddles are supposed to make you think. All I'm doing is listing off a bunch of well-known facts."

The sphinx frowns. The poor monster looks incredibly confused. "Think? Why, that can't work at all! How am I supposed to test whether you can think? It makes no sense. Now, how much force is-"

"Stop!" Annabeth interrupts again. "This just a stupid test. I refuse to take it."

"Uh, Annabeth?" Grover cuts in. Annabeth and the sphinx's sharp eyes dig into the satyr. "Maybe you should just answer the questions and complain later."

Annabeth throws the pencil off of the podium. The sphinx roars in frustration. "I'm a Child of Athena." She states. "And this is an insult to my intelligence! I won't answer any of your silly questions." Annabeth crosses her arms defiantly. The look on her face is stone cold.

The sphinx's eyes turn a dark black. "If you won't pass, then you automatically fail. And since no child is to be held back, I'm afraid you MUST BE EATEN!" She bares her claws and pounces towards Annabeth on the podium.

I take out my knife and have it grow to full length. Percy uncaps Riptide and Grover begins going into action with his reed pipes.

"No!" Tyson growls. He charges the sphinx like a rhino. Tyson intercepts her midair.

Percy and I step in front of Annabeth like an impenetrable shield. He keeps his eyes on the sphinx the whole time that he speaks to her. "Turn invisible!"

Annabeth draws her knife with a glare. "I can fight." She sneers.

"No!" I tell her. Annabeth looks at me with wide eyes, as if she can't believe that I denied her a fight with the sphinx. "She's after you! Not us. Let us take care of her."

The sphinx knocks Tyson away with one paw. She pounces again towards Annabeth but Grover pokes her in the eye with a bone. The sphinx tries to swipe at Grover but I block her claw with the side of my sword. I try to stab her but she is too fast. The sphinx smacks me with her paw, sending me flying like Tyson had only seconds ago.

Annabeth finally puts on her cap. Instantly she turns invisible. And when the sphinx pounces on the spot Annabeth was standing, she comes empty-handed. "No fair! Cheater!" The sphinx hisses.

The sphinx begins to turn to Percy. He raises his sword but it's not necessary. Tyson picks up her grading machine and hurls it at her head. She tumbles back into the podium with a loud thud. The gates rise up so we can escape.

"My grading machine! You'll pay!" She snarls. She gets back on her feet and charges towards us.

My hands feel for my flashlight in my purse. "Look away!" I command. I turn the dial the brightest that it can go and turn it on.

It's like the sun is with us in the room. The inside of my eyelids turn bright orange. I hear the sphinx screech in pain, but I'm too busy blindly finding my way to the exit. I turn off the flashlight since I'm sure the monster has been blinded long enough.

I feel several pairs of hands pull me into the tunnel before the gates slam down.

"Annabeth?" Percy asks. He looks around wildly. He evens starts to feel around in the air for any sign of her.

"Right here. Keep moving!" Annabeth says right next to him. She takes off her cap and slips it in her pocket. We don't need to be told twice. We run through the tunnels, after the soft, distant sounds of the spider.

We stand in front of an oval door. The spider bangs its head on it, not understanding that the door is closed. On the door is the symbol for Hephaestus. We came to the right place.

"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover asks. He gnaws on his shirt nervously.

"No." Percy and I say at the same time, me much more bitter than him.

Tyson smiles. "Yes!" He exclaims. Tyson turns the wheel to the door and it flies open.

The room is enormous. It's so big that I think that there might not be a beginning or end to it. Everywhere on benches and on the floor are parts of past projects. There are several hydraulic lifts. Several have cars on them while others have mechanical horses. Behind us is a wall with tools on it with white silhouettes where the right tools are supposed to go. Hephaestus is not very organized because nothing is in the right place.

Under a hydraulic lift is a pair of legs sticking out. The metal brace on his leg is a sign that it is indeed the god Hephaestus.

The spider dashes over to the man and crawls under the car. I hear a low chuckle. "Well, well. What do we have here?" Hephaestus rolls out from under the car. He sits up on the trolley. The spider makes several noises that sound affectionate. Hephaestus plucks it off his shirt with two fingers. Even though his fingers are huge, he is able to disassemble and reassemble the delicate creature within seconds. Hephaestus smiles. The bulges on his face stand out even more than usual. "Much better."

The spider then swings on a silver, metallic thread deeper into the workshop. It seems so happy.

Hephaestus narrows his eyes. He looks each of us up and down, as if he's trying to figure out what makes us tick. "I didn't make you, did I?"

Annabeth shifts on her feet. "Umm... no you didn't... sir."

The god nods in approval. "Good. Shoddy workmanship." He grumbles under his breath not so quietly. Hephaestus stands up. His frown deepens when he sees me. "Aikarina. Nice to see you again." He says coldly.

I raise my chin with pride. "Lord Hephaestus." I clip.

His eyes travel over to Percy and Annabeth. "Halfbloods. Could be automatons. You can never be too sure."

Percy seems slightly insulted. "We've already met, Lord Hephaestus."

The god scratches at his beard. Several sparks fly off. "Have we?" He says absently. "Well, if I didn't smash you the first time then I suppose I won't have to now. Unless a certain Daughter of Aphrodite does something she isn't supposed to."

A flash of anger courses through me. I get that he's furious with my mom for picking Ares over him. That I can understand. I also know that he absolutely _hated_ my father. So I guess when the two people that he dislikes the most have a child together, it's only natural for him to hate the kid.

"Don't worry, Hephaestus. I won't touch anything." I grit through my teeth.

The god glares at me. "Too bad. Would've given me a proper excuse." He looks at Grover with a frown. "Satyr." He states the obvious. He moves down the line to Tyson. His eyes twinkle like the stars. "Cyclopes. Good. Very good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?"

Tyson stares up at the god with wonder. The only sound that comes out of his mouth is 'uhhhhhhhhhhh'.

Hephaestus nods. "Well said. So there better be a good reason that you're disturbing me and my work. The suspension on the Corolla isn't going to fix itself." He jabs a thumb back to the car on the lift.

"Sir," Annabeth starts. She looks around and Percy nods for her to continue, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought that maybe-"

Hephaestus's beard bursts into puffs of angry flames. "Daedalus?" He roars. "That old scoundrel? You dare seek him out?"

Annabeth waits until the last flame dies out in his facial year. "Well... yes."

He crosses his arms and huffs. "You're wasting your time." His eyes scan over us but then stops at a workbench behind us. His mouth forms a terrible scowl. It's like he can only focus on this one thing otherwise he will go crazy. He limps past us and reaches the workbench. All I see is a lump of springs and gears, but Hephaestus sees more. With careful hands, he picks the parts up and forms a bronze falcon. It spreads its wings and flies around the room in circles.

Tyson laughs at it in delight. The bird flies down and lands on his shoulder. Tyson's laughter becomes even louder when the bird nips his ear affectionately.

Hephaestus walks in front of Tyson. "I sense you have something to tell me, brave cyclops."

Tyson nods. He pats the bird on its head before it takes flight again. "Y-Yes my lord. We met a Hundred Handed One. Briares." Hephaestus doesn't look surprised. Tyson looks close to tears. "He was scared. He wouldn't help us."

"And that bothered you?"

"Yes!" Tyson exclaims. His voice cracks slightly. "Briares is strong and brave! At least, he was supposed to be. But he ran away."

Hephaestus grunts in agreement. "I admired the Hundred Handed Ones back during the time of the war. But people, monsters, and even gods change." His mouth turns to a scowl. "You can't trust 'em. Look at my 'loving' mother Hera, for example. She'll smile at your face and tell you how important family is. But then she'll turn around and pitch you off of Mount Olympus because ya have an ugly face." Hephaestus looks at me with empathy. "Or maybe because ya have a little more power than the other kids."

I gulp back the fear at what he's implying.

"But I thought Zeus did that to you." Percy says.

Hephaestus snaps his fingers and the falcon returns to the workbench. It's eyes dim out and it slumps like it's sleeping. "Mother likes the story better. Makes her more lovable, doesn't it? Blaming it all on dad and he doesn't bother to correct it. The truth is, my mother likes families. Nothing wrong with that, but she likes a certain _kind_ of families. Perfect ones. She took one look at my ugly face and I just didn't fit in her picture."

For the first time since I got here, I feel bad for him. What Hera did to him was wrong. I never knew what happened, not completely. Athena made sure to not gossip about the gods so she didn't say anything. If what Hephaestus said is true, then my opinion of Hera is all wrong.

Hephaestus limps over to the workbench and plucks a bronze feather out of the back of the falcon. The gears fall apart to a mess. "Believe me, young cyclopes. You cannot trust others. The only things you can trust are what you make with your own hands." His eyes zero in on Percy. "Oh, this one doesn't like me." He muses. "I'm used to it. What would you ask of me, little demigod?"

"We already told you. We want to find Daedalus. There's this guy named Luke who works for Kronos. He's trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth so he can invade camp. If he gets to Daedalus before-"

"And I _told _you that you're wasting your time." Hephaestus interrupts. "He won't help you."

I clench my hands together. "And why not?" I ask.

Hephaestus shrugs like to say that it isn't his problem. "Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Others learn not to trust people in a much more painful way. Ask me for gold, a flaming sword, or a magical steed. I can grant those easily. But a way to Daedalus... that's an expensive favor."

Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "You know where he is then?"

He raises a finger. "It isn't wise to go looking."

Her back becomes a little straighter and her chin is a tad higher with pride. "My mother told me that looking is the nature of wisdom."

The god narrows his eyes at her. "Who's your mother then?"

"Athena." Annabeth tells him.

Hephaestus sighs. "Figures. Fine goddess. Shame that she refuses to marry. Alright, halfblood, I will tell you what you want to know. There is a price, though. I need a favor done."

"Name it." Annabeth says without hesitation.

He laughs. It's literally the first time that I've seen him really laugh. It kind of scares me. His voice bounces around the room like ping-pong balls. "You heroes always make rash promises. How refreshing!" He wipes a stray tear from his eye.

Hephaestus walks over to a bench and pushes a button. A huge tv pops up. On the screen is a mountain with smoke coming up from the top.

He points towards the image. "One of my forges." Hephaestus looks at it thoughtfully. "I have many but this one was my favorite."

Grover's eyes light up. "That's Mount St. Helens. Great forests around there. Just breathtaking."

"You've been there?" Percy asks him.

Grover's smile fades. "Yeah... while I was looking for Pan."

Annabeth stares at the screen then looks back at the god. "What do you mean by _was_ your favorite?"

"That's where the monster Typhon is kept." He tells us. "Used to be under Mount Etna but when we moved to America he got pinned under Mount St. Helens. Great source of fire. Perfect for a forge. A bit dangerous though, but that isn't a huge deal. There's always that small chance that he's going to escape again. Lots of eruptions these days and smoldering always. Typhon is getting restless."

"What do you want us to do? Fight him?" Percy asks, though it's clear he doesn't like the idea.

The god snorts like it's the most hilarious joke in the world. "Of course not! That's suicide. Pray that you never get to see him. Even the gods ran from him while he was free." His face turns back to his usual frown. "But the point is, lately I have sensed intruders. When I go there, it's mysteriously empty, but I can sense that someone has been there. The sense me coming but then disappear. I sent some automatons but they never come back. I want to know who _dares_ to invade my territory and if they mean to let Typhon free."

"So what you want is for us to find out who it is."

Hephaestus nods. "Go there. They won't sense you coming. You're not gods." His eyes land on me. "I'm not sure if they will sense you or not. You're powerful, but not a god... Oh, you'll just have to find out yourself. Go and find out what you can. Report back to me and I will tell you what you need to find Daedalus."

"How do we get there?" Annabeth asks.

Hephaestus claps his hands. The spider from before swings on a web and lands at Annabeth's feet. She flinched but stands her ground. Her lip trembles slightly but her face remains emotionless.

"My creation will show you the way. It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."

The spider crawls to the door. It hits its head against it until Tyson opens it. The spider then disappears into the Labyrinth. It doesn't seem to be waiting like before, so we run after it.

Grover looks at me occasionally while we're running. The looks he's giving me make me feel uneasy.

I catch him looking at me again. "What, Grover?" I snap, very irritated now.

He blushes from being caught. "You aren't a halfblood, are you?"

I shake my head.

"What are you then?" Percy asks. I see Annabeth and Percy slow down so they can hear the answer.

I shrug mid stride. I might as well start giving them a straight answer. "I guess I'm in between a god and a demigod. My dad was a halfblood and my mom is Aphrodite."

"Gross." Annabeth mutters. When she sees me staring at her, she shakes her head wildly. "I don't mean you, it's just... that seems so... forbidden."

"Well, Aphrodite is a fan of forbidden love, after all." I mutter under my breath, so quietly that no one hears me.

We continue to run through the Labyrinth as fast as we can. The spider leads us through all the safe hallways so we don't run into any traps or monsters, so we're making great time. Then, we get to the roots.

There is a tunnel that looks like it was dug through the dirt. Roots stick out like claws. The air around it seems to have a trace of power in it. It's unconsciously drawing me towards it.

Grover stops in his tracks. He stares at the tunnels with large eyes. The rest of us stop to see what is wrong.

"What is it?" Percy asks. He places a hand on Grover's shoulder to get his attention but Grover stands still like a statue. His mouth even falls open in amazement.

Annabeth looks down the corridor anxiously. "Come on, we have to keep going."

Grover reaches for the tunnel with his hands. "This is it. This is the way."

Percy's eyebrows come together. "Way to what? To... Pan?"

Grover looks at Tyson with a hopeful expression. "Don't you smell it?"

Tyson dramatically sniffs the air. "Dirt and plants."

Grover nods like that just confirmed everything. "Yes, this is it. I know it."

Annabeth looks back at the spider. It's almost all the way down the corridor. If it turns, then we will lose it. "We'll come back later. I promise. On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then." I say. "All these tunnels will be different by then." Annabeth glares at me only worsening the situation.

Grover takes a small step into the new tunnel. His hand reaches out to the dirt. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open forever!"

Annabeth frowns. "But we can't! The forges."

Grover looks at her sadly. He knows what has to happen but Annabeth doesn't. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you see? This is what I have to do."

"We'll split up." Percy offers.

"No!" Annabeth yells. She lowers her voice. "No. That's too dangerous. We might not be able to find each other again. And Grover can't go alone. What if something happens?"

Tyson puts a large hand on Grover's shoulder. "I'll go."

Percy looks like he just saw a two-headed rooster fly across the sky on the back of a unicorn. "Tyson? Are you sure?"

He nods. "I'm sure. I'm not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."

Grover takes in a deep breath. He's doing very well in staying strong. "We'll find each other again. We have the empathy link so you'll know if anything happens. I just... have to go."

"I hope you're right."

Grover smiles. "I know I am." He sounds so sure of himself. Tyson and Grover then both disappear into the strange tunnel.

Annabeth shakes her head. "This is really bad. Splitting up is bad."

"We'll see them again." Percy says. He doesn't sound so confident. "Yeah, we'll see them again. Now, let's go! That spider is getting away."

We break out in a sprint. I have never ran so fast in my entire life. Luckily for us, we catch up to the spider. It bends and weaves down tunnels. Soon enough the tunnels get hot. Percy and Annabeth are starting to sweat, but the heat doesn't seem to affect me. The stone walls glow a dull amber color. The wall becomes thick and muggy. It's hard to breath.

"Hey Annabeth." Percy calls out.

Annabeth chances a look over her shoulder to him. "Yeah?"

"Hephaestus said something about Athena back there..."

"About swearing never to marry?" Annabeth asks.

"That's it." Percy says.

"Like Artemis and Hestia, she is one of the maiden goddesses." Annabeth answers.

Percy blinks in confusion. "But then-"

"How does she have children?" Annabeth guesses that is Percy's question.

Percy nods. I stifle a laugh at how red his face is. He's blushing really bad now. I cough to hide my laughter. "Percy, do you know how Athena was born?" I answer his question with another question.

"She sprung from the head of Zeus in full battle armor or something like that." He says.

"Right. She wasn't born the normal way." Annabeth tells him. "She was literally born from thoughts. Her children are born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal man, it's all intellectual. It's a meeting of minds. She'll tell you that it's the purest of all love." Annabeth says with a half dreamy expression.

If it's even possible, Percy's blush gets even redder. "So your dad and Athena... you weren't...ahh…"

"I was literally a brain child. Children of Athena are sprung from the divine thoughts of Athena and the mortal ingenuity of our fathers. We're supposed to be a gift to the men Athena favors."

"But-" Percy starts.

"Percy, the spider's getting away." Annabeth interrupts. "Do you really want to hear about how I was born?"

Percy looks down at the ground. "Umm... no... no, it's fine."

Annabeth smirks. I have to cover my mouth with my hand to keep myself from bursting out in laughter. "I thought not." Annabeth quips.

We finally emerge into a large cavern. The spider stops and curls up into a tight ball. Instead of a stone floor, a crater of lava. It sputters occasionally and blasts us with waves of heat. There is a network of metal bridges above it, but they don't look very safe. At the center is the largest anvil there is with a block of metal.

Annabeth picks up the spider with the tips of her fingers. With an obvious grimace, she drops it in her pocket. "I can investigate. You two stay here."

"Annabeth!" I exclaim. Percy reaches out for her before she turns invisible, but it's too late. Annabeth is already somewhere in the cavern.

"I can't believe she just left us like that. I thought splitting up was bad." Percy mutters under his breath.

We stand there silently but not motionless. Percy is rocking on his feet, back and forth while I'm flipping my knife around in my hands. We can't sit still. It's impossible. Maybe it has something to do with our fighter instincts that are imbedded in our DNA or that we can't stand Annabeth being in there alone.

Percy lets out a long sigh. "I can't wait any longer." He takes a step towards the cavern. "You coming?"

I nod. "Definitely."

We creep along the side of the wall. Occasionally my hand touches the stone and I'm sure it burned me. I can feel the pain. But when I glance at my hands, they're healed. Benefit of fast healing. I sneak a look at Percy. We haven't even been in the cavern for five minutes and he's drenched in sweat.

We keep going along the thin walkway until we are blocked by a metal cart. I lift the tarp to find it full of scrap metal.

"Bring it in?" A raspy voice says.

"Yeah. The movie's almost done." Another voice says.

There is a moment where Percy and my brains are perfectly in synch. We both jump into the cart, nearly kicking each other in the face, and pull the tarp over the top. Percy curls his fingers around Riptide. I take out my knife with my hand on the gem, just in case I have to grow it to a full sword.

The cart lurches forward. I lose my balance and land completely on Percy.

'Sorry!' I mouth to him. We both blush when we realize that we are in a really compromising position. I slowly back off of him, careful not to shake the cart.

"Oi! Thing weighs a ton." The first raspy voice grunts. I scowl. Are they saying that we're fat?

The other one scoffs at him. "It's celestial bronze. Of course it weighs a ton."

They push us around a corner into a smaller room. I hear chattering of multiple voices and the sound of an old projector.

"Just set it in the back." A low voice commands. "Now younglings, please pay special attention to the film. There will be plenty of time for questions later."

The voices quiet down and I can hear the film better. It seems to be some sort of puberty video for a monster saying things like 'if you have the sudden urge to devour human beings, don't be worried. That happens to every growing monster'. It's really odd and I do my best to tune it out. I really don't want to learn about the puberty of whatever the creatures outside the cart are.

The film finally comes to an end. "Now younglings. What is the proper name for our kind?"

"Sea demons!" A voice shouts out.

"No, anyone else?"

"Telekhines." A voice growls. My eyes grow wide. Great. This is just great. We're going to be potentially murdered by a bunch of dogfish.

"Very good! And why are we here?"

"Revenge!" The students shout out at once.

"Yes, yes. But why?" The teacher asks.

"Zeus is evil!" One shouts. The rest yelp in agreement. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!"

"Indeed!" The teacher says with happiness. "After we made some of the gods' finest weapons too! Like the trident of Poseidon, for one. Nonetheless, Zeus tossed us aside and relied on those fumbling cyclops. This is exactly why we are taking over the forges of Hephaestus! And soon we will control the undersea forges! Who do we serve?"

"Kronos!" The students shout out.

"And when you grow up into big Telekhines, will you make weapons for the army?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent! We've brought some scraps for you to practice with. Let's see how ingenious you all are!"

The tarp is thrown back. I jump up with my sword at full length. Percy and I go back to back.

"Two demigods!" One of them snarls.

"Eat them!" Another growls.

I slash my sword, taking out at least five of the Telekhines at once. Percy does the same. The first row dissolves into piles of dust.

"Next lesson, class." Percy announces. "Most monsters will vaporize from one slash of a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal and will happen if you don't BACK OFF!"

Surprisingly, it works. They back off several feet but they still are growling at us. I hold out my sword at arm's length as I jump out of the cart.

"CLASS DISMISSED!" Percy yells.

We run as fast as we can towards the exit. One of the Telekhines lunges towards me. It tries to bite my left arm but Percy tugs me forward just in time. Without breaking my stride, I stab it with my sword.

There is a door that leads to the main cavern so we don't have to find our way through the tunnels. The Telekhines are barking like dogs that see a squirrel. It's insane.

We push through the door and lock it behind us.

"Do you think they can open doors?" Percy asks. He wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead.

I shrug. "I really don't want to stay and find out."

He nods. We run through towards the center of the walkways in the middle of the lava pit. Maybe we will see Annabeth, or most likely she will see us and we can get out of here.

"Annabeth?" Percy yells. I see him get pulled down behind a bronze cauldron. I am just about to jab whoever is there with my sword when I'm pulled down too.

Annabeth takes off her invisible cap. She looks like a mess. I grab her arm and untangle her hair and have all the ash fall off of her. "Thanks." Annabeth mutters. She glares at Percy as if he's a little kid causing trouble in public. "Percy, what is your problem? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"We're going to have company." I tell her.

Percy nods. "There's a class of these dog creatures. I think they're called Telekhines. Anyways, they're making weapons for Kronos and they're going to try to kill us very shortly."

Annabeth's eyes widen. "That's what they are." She says. "Telekhines. I didn't know but that makes sense. And look what they're making."

We look around the cauldron to see them making a blade on an anvil. The Telekhines are at least eight feet tall. Much larger and scarier than the ones in the classroom.

"What is it?" I wonder out loud.

Annabeth shakes her head. "I have no clue, but they keep talking about fusing metals."

"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon." Percy tells her. He looks down at the catwalk. "They said that they made my father's trident."

"The Telekhines betrayed the gods. They were practicing dark magic. I don't know what exactly... but Zeus banished them to Tartarus." Annabeth tells him.

"Like Kronos."

"Exactly like Kronos."

I look back at the classroom door warily. "We really need to get out of here." The minute I say that, the door bursts open. Telekhines rush out and look wildly around the cavern, figuring out which way to go first.

Percy turns to Annabeth. "Put your cap back on. You both get out!"

Both of our mouths fall open. "What?" Annabeth shrieks in disbelief. "We're not leaving you!"

I frown at Percy. "Annabeth's right. There is no way that we're leaving you."

"I have a plan. I'll distract them so you can get out. Use the metal spider to get back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

Annabeth looks like she's about to beat Percy up. "But you'll be killed!" She says.

He shakes his head. "I'll be fine. We have no choice."

I stand up and prepare to run. Annabeth stares at Percy for several seconds. She looks like she's conflicted over whether to punch Percy or hug him. Instead, she kisses him. When she pulls away, Percy's face is a bright red and he looks like he's in a daze.

"Be careful, Seaweed Brain." She says. Annabeth puts on her hat, grabs my arm, and runs down the catwalk. It wasn't much longer when we heard the barking of the Telekhines.

Most of them are focused on Percy, but several see me. I'm not invisible like Annabeth is. They run towards me as fast as they can, which is pretty fast even though they have flippers instead of legs.

"Annabeth, go without me." I say to the air, hoping that Annabeth is in that general direction.

"Not you too! I'm not leaving you!" Annabeth hisses.

I shake my head. "They see me, not you. There's not too many. I'll take care of them and get both Percy and me out of here."

There is a long silence. I can't see Annabeth's face so I don't know how she feels about this idea. I feel her let go of my arm. "Fine. But you better still be here when I get back."

I nod. I hear Annabeth run down the catwalk. The Telekhines begin to surround me. They snap at me with their teeth, but before they could get close to me, I slice them with my sword.

I hear Percy scream. I look over to see the Telekhines throwing lava at him. "Percy!" I yell.

He doesn't hear me over the sound of his own screams. I guess he thought that I got out of here.

What happens next is a blur. One second I'm stabbing dog-like creatures then the next I am flying out of the volcano at top speeds. For a second it's peaceful just looking at the earth around me. It feels like I'm gliding. My body stings everywhere, but the breeze feels nice. Then I start to fall. The earth comes towards me at startling speeds. I hear a scream. Someone's screaming. It takes a millisecond to register in my mind that the terrifying scream is coming from my mouth. The trees come closer and closer until I can just touch them. The grass comes closer and closer until I feel a sharp pain then pure darkness.

* * *

><p>It feels like a hand is pressing down on my chest, pushing me back inside my body. The hand has claws and it's digging into my heart. A deep feeling of sadness washes over me but I don't know why. I feel... dark inside.<p>

My eyes flutter open. I try to lift my head but I can't seem to move anything.

"Lay still, my child." A woman with dark hair that reaches only to her shoulders says. She has a dark black robe decorated with different runes. The occasionally glow a faint blue when her hand passes over them. "You are still recovering."

"Hecate." I strain out but it sounds like a jumble of syllables.

She nods, somehow understanding me. "Yes, it is me. Now lay still. Your trip to death did not bode well for your soul or your body." Hecate lifts up the back of my head. I bite my lip to keep myself from crying out in pain. She pours some water from a jug into my mouth, which I happily drink. I'm so thirsty and so hungry.

"Kronos." I gasp. Somehow I can't speak more than one word at a time.

Hecate shakes her head. "I have not told him about you, Aikarina. He does not know where you are."

"Why?" I turn my head to get a better look at her. My neck burns at every movement.

"Hush, child. Rest now and we will talk." She waves a hand over my eyes and against my will, I fall asleep.

* * *

><p>My dream starts out blurry like an old television set. Everywhere I look, there is a mist. The floor is a large mirror that gives the landscape a surreal appearance. I don't hurt anymore but I know that my body is still recovering from the fall. How could I have survived that?"<p>

"You didn't." I hear Hecate say. I turn around to see her standing behind me. A small weasel-like creature rubs its face against her cheek.

"What do you mean?" I take a step forward.

She makes the creature disappear in a puff of smoke. Hecate walks over to me with such grace that it seems like she's floating. If I didn't see her long high heels step on the ground, I would've thought that she was flying.

"You died when you fell. You went to the Underworld and faced judgment like every soul." She tells me. Hecate brushes back a piece of my hair. Her fingernails are so long. "Your trial was short and precise. You were sent to the Fields of Asphodel." Hecate's eyes flash.

My eyebrows come together. "Fields of Asphodel? How did I get that?"

The corners of her mouth raise in a small smirk. "You were to have Elysium, until you nearly attacked the judges when they insulted your father."

That sounds like me. I look at my surroundings. "This doesn't look like the Fields of Asphodel."

She laughs. "Oh, child, you aren't in the Underworld anymore. You see, exactly four hours after you died. Your heart restarted itself. However, you were sleeping for much longer." Hecate places a finger under my chin. "You heal yourself. Basically, you have a form of immortality. You may die at any time, but you never will stay that way."

I take an involuntary step back. "So if I died, then why don't I remember anything about the Underworld?"

Hecate gives me an evil grin. "Of course you do, but remember, you were sent to the Fields of Asphodel. Everything you were was repressed until you returned to the living. Your memories of the Underworld are repressed right now like your past life was when you were dead. These sorts of things are so easy to access..."

Before I can react she mutters an incantation and touches my forehead with her thumb. Flashbacks of the Underworld race through my mind. All the loneliness that I felt. How sad I was that I couldn't touch something as simple as a tree branch. The emptiness in my belly. I'm so cold… so very cold… and even scarier, I felt so empty. Like a hallow husk walking along the field with millions of souls just like me.

She pulls her thumb away from my head. I gasp and fall to the ground at her feet. "Being dead is not a fun experience. It can become quite depressing. Even for those who go to the Isle of the Blessed. You felt a darkness inside you when you came back, did you not?"

"I did." I whisper. Inside I shudder at the feeling. It's still there deep down. Right next to the caged anger.

"Just another thing for you to carry around. I must warn you that every form of immortality comes with a price. The gods' price is that we can never be with the ones that we love. We always will lose our lovers and children. Nothing is permanent in our lives. Your price is that a small bit of darkness follows you out of the Underworld. I warn you that it will build up. If it continues to build, then it will consume you in the end."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Her lips come to a frown. "Because I want to help you. You are magnificent. There has never been a person like you."

I narrow my eyes. "I'm guessing that you aren't just helping me because you're such a kind goddess. You're doing this for Kronos."

She shakes her head. "No. I'm doing this for us." Hecate takes several large strides until she is right in front of me. "I need an ace up my sleeve. Something that I can use, if needed, in the future. You _are_ that ace."

"I'm not anyone's to use." I snap at her. She doesn't seem affected by my words.

"You have a talent." She starts, not responding to my comment. "A talent that cannot be pushed or prodded. That would only soil it. No. It must be eased and come willingly. As much as I want you to join the Titans, I will not force you."

I cross my arms. "So you just want to use me?"

The edges of her lips curl up in a temporary smile. "I admit, some of my reasons to help you are selfish. However, I am also helping you because I genuinely want to help. The gods were wrong to suppress you. They should've encouraged you to your full potential!"

"And what is my full potential?"

She laughs again. "Nobody knows. Not even silly Apollo with his prophecies. I am also somewhat prophetic. I see multiple outcomes. I see a possibility that I can approve of in the future. Much more than if the Titans reign over Olympus. And this outcome needs you to help make it happen."

"What is the outcome?"

She taps her chin with her finger. "I cannot say, but it's a wonderful one. One that will bring back honor to me and my children. There is a war coming, you know that as well as I. There are multiple ways that this can end. Some of them good, some bad. Not all the futures that benefit me happen if the Titans win."

I try to piece everything that she is saying together. "So, you're not with the Titans?"

"Oh, I'm definitely on the Titan's side during this war."

"But you just said-"

She waves her hand like it's nothing. "I'm trying to tell you is that if the Titans do not win the war, I will still benefit from it. That's all I will say about this matter." Hecate strokes her hand along a ruin on her robe. The landscape changes to a living room. She takes a seat on a green chair I take a seat on an ugly, floral print couch

I place my hand son my knees. "I just want to get a couple of things straight. You aren't going to turn me into Kronos."

Hecate nods. "Correct."

"You want me to unlock my full potential."

She nods her head again. "Also correct."

"And you want to use me so that you get an outcome that you want."

The goddess smiles. "You always were a smart girl. The gods were foolish to give you up. They were foolish for killing your father too. He was a brave hero. Always did quest for the gods and how did they repay him? With eternal damnation in the Underworld. Tell me; are you not angry at them? They poisoned your father. Your mother didn't bother to play a role in your raising. They kicked you out of the only home you have ever known. Doesn't that make you want revenge?"

I clench my fists. "Yes, it does make me angry, but not angry enough for revenge. I don't hate the gods. They're my family. I can never hate them but I can hate the things they do."

Hecate taps the coffee table with a long finger. "Kronos can make sure that nothing like that can ever happen again. _You_ can change everything. You're one small bit of power away from becoming a full-fledged goddess. He can make you that after the war."

I feel the atmosphere change from a helpful one to a demanding one. After all this talk about not forcing me, she's trying to recruit me for Kronos! "I don't want to be a goddess. I'm fine the way I am."

Her eyes momentarily bulge in surprise. She recovers very quickly. "Very well, even though I don't see why. That offer will continue to stand. I must go. Kronos will be curious of my disappearance. Here's a tip that I'm sure no other god will tell you. To get from one place to another, see it with your third eye."

She dissolves into a cloud of mist. The scene starts to shake and mold with reality. I open my eyes. I'm awake again. And also in pain again. But now I can at least move my body. With a great amount of effort, I sit up. Now to get home.


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you everyone for your support! I love you all so much! I'm sorry that this update is slightly shorter, but that's because I have been so busy with school that I barely have any time to write anymore. I also get so many ideas about other stories that I sometimes use my writing time to work on them. But don't worry! I'll still update this story, it just might be longer than when I would usually update.**

**I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

><p>"See with my third eye." I mutter to myself.<p>

With my left arm, I pull myself up a tree so that I can stand on my feet. It hurts so much. Every bone in my body is broken but mending. It feels like small little construction workers are in my bones fixing all the cracks. It will be several days until I'm completely healed. Never before have I healed myself from such terribly injuries.

I close my eyes and try to picture Camp Halfblood with my third eye. It's a lot harder than it looks considering I don't naturally have three eyes. I try to bend my mind to focus on the place, but it's not working. My legs give out from under my. Pain shoots out from my body as I land on my back and a small cry escapes my lips. Tears rush out of my eyes but I can't bring my arms up to wipe them away.

"I want to go home." I cry out. If you asked what home was more than six months ago, I would've told you Mount Olympus. But now, my home is Camp Halfblood. It has grown on me and it has begun to feel like that was where I truly belong. But, if given the choice, I would gladly go back to Mount Olympus if it means seeing Athena or Apollo again. I miss them so much.

In the tree above me, I hear an owl hoot.

I glare at the bird in the tree. "Just go away." I tell it with irritation seeping through my voice. If I'm going to cry, I don't want anyone to see it. Even if it is something like an owl that can't tell anyone that I was weeping.

It hoots again.

"Go away!" I exclaim. The tears come out faster.

The owl swoops down from the tree and drops something in my lap. It looks like a pill bottle. But when I take a closer look, I see that there is a note on it.

_Take two of these and you won't be feeling pain for a while. Sorry that Zeus isn't allowing any of us to help more. We love you!_

_XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO -Apollo_

_(PS. Athena says hi too.)_

_(PPS. Don't take this with any other medication or alcohol. Could be deadly, sooo... don't do it.)_

A smile climbs on my face and the tears stop flowing. _They have been watching out for me_. The thought makes me incredibly happy inside. I open the bottle and swallow two of the pills. Almost immediately they take effect. My world becomes dizzier and more mushed together, but the pain is gone. I stand up again, this time not limited because of the pain but I'm still careful because I'm healing.

I close my eyes and try to use my third eye. With my mind, I picture the camp with the beautiful strawberry fields and the training arena. I even picture my siblings. I open my eyes and see that nothing has changed.

I growl in frustration. "I just want to go to Camp Halfblood!" I squeeze my eyes shut.

The air around me changes. I open my eyes to see that I'm at the entrance to the camp. My legs tremble as I walk, but I keep going. The travel made my light-headed and dizzier than I already was from the medication.

"RINA!" I hear someone shriek. I turn my head to see Silena sprinting towards me. She looks like a mess. Her hair hasn't been combed and she's wearing sweatpants and a camp T-shirt. Definitely not the Silena I know. The least dressed up I've ever seen her was in jeans and a fancy blouse. She engulfs me in a large hug. "You're okay! You're okay." She mutters into my hair.

I sway on my feet and would've fallen over already if Silena wasn't keeping me stead. "I missed you." I say quietly.

"I missed you too." She pulls away but keeps her hands on my shoulders. "Don't ever make me that worried ever again!"

I smile. "No promises."

Silena frowns but doesn't comment on what I said. "Come on, you look hungry. Let's get you some food." She lets go of me and my vision acts like it is on a spinning top. I fall flat on my face.

My sister's eye grow wide with horror. "Someone help!" She yells. "Can you get up?" She asks me.

"Can't." I mutter into the grass. "Everything is spinning too much."

Several people from the Apollo cabin get a stretcher. They lay me on it then sprint towards the medical wing. I try to lift my head but someone keeps me down. Kayla grabs my hand and gasps in shock. She pulls away like I burned her. "She should be dead. I can sense that almost all of her bones are broken and she's internally bleeding." I hear her yell.

"You sure?" Another person snaps. I try to turn my head to see who is speaking but they keep my head still.

"Yes! 100% sure! She needs a hospital. A _real_ hospital. She needs to go into surgery!" Kayla replies.

"No." I croak out. There is a long silence. "I'll be fine. Just... set me down on a bed."

They take me off the stretcher and place me on the bed in the medical wing. I look around to see four people from the Apollo cabin.

Kayla frowns at me. "You're not thinking right. Your veins are full of adrenaline which is keeping you from thinking right. That and you most likely have a concussion, but I will have to examine you more to be sure.."

"Just... just let me be." I whisper. I can heal myself if given enough time. But I don't want to freak them out with my healing abilities just yet.

She opens her mouth to disagree but Will holds her back. "We'll just take care of her when she's asleep. She'll be out so it will be easier." Will mumbles into her ear, not as quietly as he hoped.

Kayla nods. She digs through several drawers and takes out a bottle of pain killers. She tries to force two pills down my throat but I shake my head.

"I already took something for the pain." I tell her.

Her mouth falls in disbelief. "But how...? You know what? Never mind. We'll check in on you later." She and the rest of the Apollo cabin leave, except for Will who was given the job to look over me.

The door bursts open. Annabeth rushes into the room. Her's eyes are swollen from crying. She looks like she hasn't taken a shower in days and her clothes are wrinkled from continual use. Her eyes grow wide when she sees me sitting on the bed. It's like she sees a ghost. Annabeth rushes to my side.

"Nico said you were dead. He said that he felt your soul go through judgment." Annabeth tells me. Her voice cracks as she speaks. She is careful not to let Will hear her.

I look down at my hands. Of course he would feel it. He's the Son of Hades after all. I hope that he knows that I'm alive again. After all, I promised him that nothing would happen to me.

"Does he know that I'm alive?" I ask.

Annabeth shakes her head.

"Can you Iris message him and tell him?"

"Yeah. I'll Iris message Eurytion tonight." Annabeth says. She wipes her nose with her hand. She looks at Silena who is standing by the doorway. "We'll talk later." Annabeth practically runs out of the room. I hear several small sobs come from her.

Silena breaks out in a smile. She looks like she has been crying, but maybe out of happiness. "I can't believe that you're alive. Annabeth said that you were dead and I didn't want to believe it." She sits on a chair next to the bed.

I manage to crack a smile. "I'm here now. What happened at camp while I was gone?" I ask.

Silena frowns. "Not much except," she pauses. Silena stares at for a couple of seconds then looks away. "We can talk about this later; after you've gotten some rest."

"Tell me, please." I beg.

"No. You will go to sleep and I will tell you later." She says with some power behind her voice. For a second I feel like maybe I _should _go to sleep and forget about it. I mentally shake myself off. No. I'm not going to let it go this quickly.

"Silena. Just tell me." I whine.

"Go to sleep." She commands.

My mouth falls open slightly. "I'll go to sleep." The words just pour out of my mouth. I start to close my eyes but then I realize what is happening. "You're charm speaking me! Silena!" I burst out.

She mutters several Greek curses. "You're one of the first that has resisted me when I did that." She lets out a dry chuckle.

"How often do you do that to people?" I ask, slightly in awe that she has the ability to charm speak. It's a rare ability. The only other person I know who has it is our half-sister Drew, but it's not strong.

Silena shakes her head. "Not as often as you think. The last time I did it was in the winter. I had to convince the bus driver to drive me all the way to camp." She wrinkles her nose. "Honestly I find it really rude to do that to people."

I raise an eyebrow. "But you did it to me."

She sighs. "Yes, but you need to sleep. Now, sleep." Another wave of tiredness washes over me.

I point a finger towards her. "Fine. I'll sleep. But when I wake up, you will tell me everything that has happened."

* * *

><p>Kayla and the rest of the Apollo cabin stare at me like I just sprouted horns from my head. I am completely healed except for a couple of bruises around my body, but those will be gone in the hour.<p>

"I don't get it. You were dying! You're supposed to be dead!" Kayla exclaims. "Nobody can have those type of injuries, continually deny treatment, and still be alive!

Austin frowns at his sister. "It's not polite to say that people should be dead."

She glares at him. "Shut up! You saw her with your own eyes. I _know_ that you felt that she was completely broken. Now all she has is a couple of bumps. It's not possible!"

Chiron clears his throat. "It's a miracle. Perhaps one of the gods blessed her with quick healing. Now, all of you go back to your activities. That armory isn't going to organize itself."

Kayla mumbles several more things about everyone going crazy but she leaves with the rest of the Apollo cabin

Chiron clops in front of the bed. He stands high above me. It hurts my neck to look up at him. "I'm impressed. I've never seen a camper recover so quickly." He muses.

I shrug and hold back a hiss of pain. "Maybe it has something to do with me being, what, 75% god?"

Chiron laughs. "That is most likely the case." His face falls completely serious. "What happened?"

I scratch my head. The whole thing is a blur. "I... I don't really remember much. I remember being surrounded by Telekhines then it's just blank." I purposefully leave out the part about Hecate visiting me. Chiron doesn't need to know, especially since he would most likely tell the other gods about her visit.

"What about Percy? Do you remember what happened to him?" Chiron asks.

I shake my head but then pause. Fear grips my heart. "Isn't Percy here?"

Chiron frowns. "He never returned. Neither have Grover or Tyson."

I grip the sides of the bed for support. Three people gone. Only two returned. I can only imagine how awful Annabeth feels. I stare up at the Centaur with wide eyes. "We have to go looking for them!" I exclaim.

Chiron shakes his head sadly. "No one would have the slightest idea where to look. There are also other matters that need to be attended to."

I raise an eyebrow. "What could be more important than three missing campers?"

"Typhon is stirring." Chiron says bluntly. "After the eruption Percy somehow caused, he managed to aggravate Typhon. Hopefully he will stay put, but we can never be too sure."

"_Di immortales_." I mutter.

He nods gravely. "You have some friends that have been worried about you. When you feel up to it, you may return to your usual camp activities." Chiron leaves the infirmary with half-hearted steps. It is obvious that Grover, Tyson, and Percy's disappearances are bothering him.

I roll my legs off the side of the bed. My feet plop onto the floor like lead weights. Determination rolls into my veins. I will stand up, no matter how much it hurts. Using the bedside table to help me, I stand. My knees scream in agony and my ankles burn, but at least I'm up. The last thing I want is to sit in bed all day. I have to do something.

The door opens. Ava's eyes widen with happiness.

"Bean!" She screams in delight. Ava bounces towards me like a bunny rabbit on drugs. Her pigtails bounce behind her with ever leap. Before I can get a chance to say anything, she attacks me with a back-breaking hug.

"Avalanche!" I mumble into her camp t-shirt. Ava seems to realize that she is suffocating me because she takes two large steps back.

She smiles so largely that I swear her face is going to crack in half. "Annabeth told everyone that you died, but I never believed it!" She gushes out. Her hands dance around her as she speaks. "I told her that you dying was impossible! There was no way that you would've just died like that. It would take more than a silly volcanic explosion to put you out!"

My face twists into a huge grin from her happiness. Ava's a virus, infecting everyone within fifty feet with her glee. Before I met her, I never believed that someone could be so enthusiastic and happy for such a long time. Eventually they would have to wear out of happiness, but no. Ava never ceases to have a smile on her face. It amazes me how she is able to genuinely keep it up.

Ava loops her arm around mine. "You up for a walk around camp?" I nod. Anything to get out of the infirmary. I nod weakly and Ava doesn't waste any time to rush out the door.

The sun nearly blinds me. I have to blink my eyes several times before the dots disappear. When my vision clears, I see the true state of the camp. The Children of Hephaestus bend over the forges intensely. Their faces are lined with a thick build-up of smut and dirt. The Children of Ares are training like a true Greek military. Each person has their full-set of armor on and is practicing drills led by Clarisse, of course. My half-siblings bustle around the camp with pitchers of lemonade to keep all the campers hydrated. It truly looks like the camp turned into a military camp. Even the satyrs and wood nymphs are preparing.

Ava looks at me with a serious expression. "We have begun to set up our defensive since you guys went into the maze." Her mouth falls into a small frown. "It seems like a lot but Clarisse tells me that it's not enough."

It's hard to imagine that after all this work that everyone has done, it will all be in vain because it's not enough to stop Kronos. I refuse to think that and I hope that not a lot of people believe that also. When people stop hoping and believing, that is when hope is truly lost.

"Don't believe her, Ava. It will be enough. It _has _to be." I tell her quietly.

Her lips form a straight line, but she doesn't say anything. Ava guides me through the rest of the camp. I see much more than what I originally saw when I first came outside. The Children of Apollo are making special arrows that explode in sparks on contact. One of the arrows nearly hits us. It was a recently claimed Son of Apollo, so we can't be too mad at him. The Children of Athena are already beginning to go over battle plans in the shade of the pine. Everyone is on edge and preparing for the battle. Even the Stoll brothers are serious and preparing for potential war.

Annabeth brushes by us. Her golden hair is jumbled in a mess and her eyes are focused on the ground. I don't think she even saw that she nearly ran into Ava and me. In her hands she has piles of scrolls and books.

"Annabeth!" I call out.

She turns on her heels suddenly. Her eyes are red rimmed and her bottom lip quivers slightly. "You're out of bed." She states the obvious. I nod. Annabeth clutches to her books tighter, like they're her lifeline. "Good. We'll need you for the preparation." For some reason I have a feeling she means preparing for something more than a battle.

Ava shakes her head. "Give it some time. Maybe he will be fine just like Rina."

Annabeth turns her head so she isn't looking at us. "Maybe." She mumbles. "I... better take these to my siblings." Annabeth practically runs away from us. A book falls from her arms in the process but she doesn't even notice.

"Preparation for what?" I ask Ava.

She shrugs like it's no big deal. "Just Percy's funeral. Chiron and Annabeth are already expecting the worst. I swear neither of them have an optimistic bone in their body." She scoffs.

I frown and roll the idea of Percy's funeral around my head. I absolutely hate thinking that Percy is dead, but there is no way that he could've survived getting shot out of a volcano. Hades, I didn't even survive! Just the thought of my death brings a small weight of sadness on my chest. It feels like someone placed a small rock right where my heart is.

Ava smiles, brushing the darkness away from me. She pokes my arm playfully. "Don't you dare start thinking like everyone else. Okay? Just you standing right here is good enough proof for me that Percy is also alive. Now, come on. I want to show you some things that the Hephaestus cabin made."

* * *

><p>Charles hands me a small metal bead. I cradle it in my hand with uncertainty.<p>

"What is it?" I ask, not keeping my eyes off of the small ball.

Charles smiles admiringly at his creation. He reaches on his workbench and pulls out a paintball gun. "That is a shootable Greek fire."

I nearly drop it in surprise. I thrust the small bead back at Charles. "You can have it back now!" Greek fire is an extremely dangerous weapon, and I don't want to think what would happen if I accidentally dropped it.

He chuckles and takes it away from me with two large fingers. Charles loads it into the paintball gun where there are hundreds of beads just like it. "Because of its size, it won't start a very large fire. Several of these babies shot at a monster, and suddenly they are engulfed in flames. I made them myself."

Silena laughs. We all jump in surprise since none of us knew that she was standing there. This only makes Silena's smile grow. She walks over to Charles and rests her head on his shoulder.

"Telling them all the things you made?" Silena muses.

Charles smiles. "Yeah. Ava wanted to show Rina what we're going to use to keep the monsters out of our camp."

Silena sighs in content when Charles wraps his arm around her waist. My gut fills with the pure feeling of love at just being in the same room as the couple. They both love each other very much. You don't have to be a Child of Aphrodite to know that. Her eyes move off of Charles's face and towards me.

"Did you sleep well?" She asks.

I nod.

Silena smiles in relief. She gives me one last glance over to see if I'm alright. "I'm not even going to ask how you healed so quickly. As long as you're walking, then I don't care." She turns towards Charles and Ava. "Do you mind if I talk with my sister alone?" Both of them told her that they don't mind. Charles went back to making Greek fire paintballs and Ava joined her siblings in fighting exercises.

Silena guides me out of the stuffy forges. A thin layer of sweat lines both of our skins from the heat given off. I am able to have it clear up right away while Silena still looks like she ran several miles.

"So, what happened to camp while I was gone?" I ask my question from earlier.

Silena sighs. "A lot of things happen. Not many of them good. Juniper is feeling ill. Her leaves are turning yellow. Some of Demeter's kids went out to look at her tree and didn't see anything wrong with her, so she isn't sick with a fungus or anything like that. But I do think she's sick with worry."

"Because Grover hasn't come back." I say but it isn't necessary. Grover and Juniper have been dating for a while. They both have become close, so it's only natural for her to be worried about her boyfriend.

She nods. "And... another thing about Grover..."

I frown at her hesitation and motion with my hand to signal her to keep going.

"His searcher's license has been revoked." She gushes out.

My mouth falls open in shock. "But, that's not fair! It hasn't even been a week!"

Her blue eyes cloud with worry. "Rina, it has been so much longer than a week. And if Grover does come back, he will be exiled. It's not looking good for him at all."

I wring my hands together nervously. "Grover can talk to them. Maybe Chiron can convince them to reconsider it. Time moves faster in the Labyrinth. They have to understand!"

She shakes her head. "Chiron already did as much as he could by giving him a week. There is no changing their minds."

My mind runs through every way possible that I can convince the council to reconsider this. Many of the situations involve me holding a knife up to their necks or possibly threatening to chop down their favorite nymphs' trees.

Silena gasps. "Stop thinking what you're thinking! You had the same look on your face when you beat up Ralph. Swear on the River Styx that you won't threaten any of the council members. Swear it!"

I grumble several curses under my breath but eventually swear that I won't threaten any of them. Gods know that if I didn't, Silena would never talk to be again.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about." Silena says.

"What?"

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a light pink fabric. She hands it to me. It's silky and beautiful. The stitches are perfect and form a gorgeous picture of a dove with a sword in its claws. Small roses embroider on the edge. It takes me several seconds to realize that this is my burial shroud.

"Two days after Annabeth returned and you didn't, Drew asked me if I wanted to make this. She said that you gave her the design and she said... she said that you would probably want me to make it." Silena's voice cracks slightly.

I'm stunned. Never in a million years did I think that Drew would do what I asked her to do. She actually kept her word that if anything happened to me, she would make sure that my shroud was made the way I wanted it to be made.

"You didn't think that you were coming back alive. Did you?"

I stare at the grass. "I was just being prepared. If something did happen to me, I wanted to make sure that there wasn't any glitter of anything like that on my shroud."

Silena stares at the shroud in my hand. "I just hope that I never have to see it used. Now, come on. Let's help Charlie with testing his inventions."

* * *

><p><em>Clarisse's limp is getting worse. She hasn't said anything but I know it has.<em>

_"__Clarisse..." I start._

_She whips around to glare at me. The Labyrinth is still so bright that it seems like we're standing under a bunch of fluorescent lights. "I'm fine." She snaps. Clarisse stomps further slightly so we aren't walking so close together. Her knee buckles every time she stomps with her bad leg and the sweatshirt I wrapped around her wound is soaked with blood._

_"__Go easy on your leg." I tell her._

_"__I said that I'm fine!" Clarisse snarls._

_I grab her arm and force her to stop. I jab one finger at her face. Clarisse's eyes go wide with surprise. "You're not fine. Let me look at it. I think I might have some ambrosia in my pocket." I dig into my jean pocket and pull out a small cube of ambrosia. Lucky for us, I happened to bring it along but only just remembered it.  
><em>

_Clarisse frowns. "We should save that for an emergency."_

_I glare at her with such intensity that would put Athena to shame. "This _is_ an emergency. You're bleeding really bad and I don't know how much longer you can walk on it like that." Without her consent, I stuff the cube of ambrosia in her mouth. Clarisse swallows it slowly. "Better?" I ask._

_Clarisse nods. She turns back around and marches ahead. "I'll get us out of here." She says suddenly. "This is my fault and I'll fix it."_

_I say nothing and continue to follow her through the maze._

_Thinking about one's death is a terrible thing to think about. As my mind flips through the many ways that I can die, I strangely accept it. If I'm going to die down here, then I might as well come to terms with it. If I die, then maybe I can see my father again. I actually find it quite peaceful to accept that this all might come to an end very quickly._

_I look around me then stop. It's like a slap to my face that's telling me to 'wake up and realize what I'm thinking about'. An owl is spray-painted with a bright red on the maze's wall. Its eyes dig into me with the same intensity that the goddess it represents would have. I swallow and continue to follow Clarisse through the hallways._

_We pause in a huge room. In the center there is a shallow well with something at the bottom. It's looks black and sticky. All I know is that it's not water._

_She sits on the edge of the well. Clarisse leans back slightly so that the small light coming from somewhere on the ceiling reflects off of her sword. "We should rest for a while. It wouldn't be good to wear ourselves out."_

_I take a seat next to her. We both have the same shallow breathes and nervous twitches at the slightest noise._

_Suddenly, Clarisse leans back too far. She topples backwards into the small well. There is a small smash and a clang of her sword hitting the stone edges._

_I lean over the edge to see if she's okay. Thank the gods the well isn't so deep that there would be no hope of ever getting her out. If I really stretch, Clarisse should be able to jump and grab my hand._

_"__Are you okay?" I ask. I see a shadowy figure stand up in the well. She rubs the back of her head but is alive._

_"__Fine! Gods I'm an idiot." She hisses at herself._

_I frown. It isn't like Clarisse to just fall backwards into wells. "Why did you fall?" I ask, even though it might be a very dumb question._

_I hear her sigh. "I... felt a little dizzy and I just fell over. I'm fine. I really am."_

_I shake my head. "No, you're not. You must have lost too much blood."_

_"__I said I'm fine, okay?" Clarisse yells. "There's nothing wrong with me so stop looking at me like there is!"_

_I sigh. Yes, because people who have nothing wrong with them normally fall backwards into small wells. Obviously the ambrosia didn't help as much as I hoped it would and I have no more left. Clarisse will just have to hold on until we get back to camp._

_I stretch down as far as I can and reach my hand out to her. My other hand grabs the side of the well so I don't tumble down after her. "Grab my hand." I command._

_Clarisse reaches for my hand but there is still about a foot difference. If she jumps then I will have her, but can she jump with her leg? Clarisse prepares to jump for my hand when we hear a sound of footsteps._

_"__Something's coming." I whisper._

_"__Drag me up now." Clarisse hisses._

_A woman cackles on the other side of the room. "Too late!" A rusty voice sings. I turn around to see a pale woman wearing a dress that looks and smells centuries old. There are several stains of blood and the occasional splotch of mustard. Her teeth are sharp and yellow. Her eyes are dark red. The woman's hair is so thin that you can see her scalp._

_"__What is it, Rina?" Clarisse shouts. I ignore her because I have no clue what it is either. Despite not knowing what I'm up against, I point my knife in her direction._

_The woman cackles in delight. Her laugh sends shivers up my spine. "What am I? Why, that isn't polite. Don't you mean to ask, who am I?" Her lips curl into a cruel smile._

_Clarisse scoffs at her from down in the well. "No, I mean what in the Hades kind of monster are you?" She shouts up._

_The woman completely ignores her. "I'm Lamia, and I'm your worst nightmare." I rake my mind for any idea of who Lamia is, but I come up blank. She laughs manically. It's more uncomfortable to watch than scary. Lamia is trying her best to be terrifying but instead she looks awkward and almost hilarious to watch. She curls her fingers into claws. Her sharp nails dig into the wall of the maze._

_"__Who's Lamia?" I ask._

_She frowns. "Perhaps this will refresh your memory of who I am!" She cackles again. With her two dirty hands, she plucks out both of her eyeballs. Lamia squeals with delight at the sight of my disgusted face. Somehow, despite the eyes being removed from her head, she can still see. "Be afraid, young child! I enjoy feeling your fear!"_

_My grip tightens around my knife. "I still have no clue who you are."_

_Lamia jams her eyes back in her head with a sickening sound. She looks terribly disappointed. "Perhaps you're just too young. Not a lot of children know who I am. I'm sure if you would've lived several more years, then you would know who I am. But that's a shame since I'm going to eat you!" She snarls._

_Lamia is about to attack me when Clarisse speaks up. "Wait. Are you that one queen who had an affair with Zeus?" I can hear the anger in her voice. She is purposefully distracting Lamia so that I can stab her without much of a fight._

_Her hideous face brightens. "So you have heard of me? Why, I was an amazing queen. It's no wonder that Zeus fell in love with me." She turns towards me. "Are you absolutely sure that you have no idea who I am?"_

_I shrug. "Sorry. I wasn't allowed to learn about Zeus's past flings where I'm from."_

_She bares her teeth. "I wasn't just a fling! He loved me!" Lamia straightens out her filthy dress. "Never mind that. I'm going to kill you now. Then your friend in the well." Lamia lunges for me but narrowly misses. I slice her with my knife and she lets out a terrible howl._

_"__Didn't Hera steal your children when she found out about you and Zeus?" Clarisse yells, panic rising in her voice. She feels absolutely helpless being stuck on the bottom of the well while I'm fighting for our lives._

_Lamia lets out a wail of despair. "Why must you bring that up?" She shrieks. Taking her distraction to my advantage, I stab my knife in her chest. Right where her heart should be. Lamia gasps and falls to the ground. Her body lays as stiff as a board._

_"__Leave the knife in." Clarisse commands. "If you take it out, then she'll just keep coming back. Now help me out of here!"_

_I reluctantly leave my dagger behind. I'm completely weaponless but I still follow Clarisse's advice. Even though Lamia was pretty easy to defeat, she most likely be more ready for a sudden attack next time._

_There is a large weight difference between Clarisse and me. I'm smaller, barely reaching her shoulders. Clarisse is buff and packed with muscles while I'm more on the skinny side. It's a two ton truck verses a bike. Let's just say that it was incredibly difficult pulling Clarisse out of the well. By the time she is back on ground, my shoulder feels like it's dislocated and stars dance around my head._

_Clarisse helps me up. She frowns at our surroundings. "Let's just get out of here."_


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you everyone for your support of this story! xoxoxoxo**

**~~Just to clarify, since I did get a question about this, it isn't said directly but Rina is about Nico's ago. So I hope that puts things in perspective. :)~~**

* * *

><p>These past few days I have worried a lot. I have worried about camp. I have worried about the Labyrinth. I have worried about Percy. I have even worried about the fish in the lake after an undetermined camper tried to wash their dirty laundry in the water. But I have not worried as much as all those things combined compared to how worried I am about Annabeth. She rarely comes out of her cabin and hasn't come to any of the meals. Her siblings occasionally bring her food, but most of the time she stays cooped up in her cabin. They say that she studying battle tactics but I can see that they're incredibly worried about her too.<p>

When I _did_ see her out and about, she would always say that she was too busy to spar or snack on strawberries. She claimed that she needed to prepare for the battle. And when I offered to help her with that, she said that she worked better on her own.

I knock on the door to the Athena cabin. There is a muffled sound of papers shuffling and a small 'come in'. Annabeth sits at her desk with fists clenching her hair. The curtains are drawn, papers are scattered all around her, and the only light is a small lamp. The dim light casts long shadows on the huge bookcases, which makes the room look strangely creepy. She looks almost surprised when she sees me. "Rina. I thought you were Malcolm with some food." In the dim light I almost don't notice that her eyes are swollen and there are bags under her eyelids. Almost.

"I wanted to see how you're doing. I haven't seen you in several days." I say.

Annabeth sighs. "I have been worried about the..."

"Battle." I finish.

"Yeah, the battle." Annabeth mutters.

I move so that I'm sitting in a chair next to the desk. There are tear stains on the sheets and many sentences with frustrated scribbles through them.

"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.

Annabeth nods a tad too violently. Her tangled, blonde hair shakes around her like snakes. "I'm fine. Just tired with all the... preparations. I... I... ahh... I have worked day in and out on battle techniques and..." She pauses. "Chiron put me in charge of making Percy's burial shroud." She says in a small voice. Several tears run down her face, but she quickly wipes them away. Annabeth digs through her stack of paper until she finds one that looks like it was crumpled up then straightened out again. She places it in my hand.

It's a design for the shroud. It's very simple with a trident embroidered in the middle of the robe.

"I..." Annabeth falters. "I think that Percy would like something more plain and simple. He doesn't need anything super fancy like scented leaves woven into the shroud or anything like that. Do you think that it's fine?"

I stare at the piece of paper. It's so simple but I have a feeling that if Percy was here, he would think that it's just right. "I think that he would love it."

Annabeth breathes out like she was holding her breath for a thousand years. She takes the design and pins it on the board hanging above the desk.

I look down at my hands. "Don't blame yourself." I say suddenly.

She looks at me with a wild look in her eyes. "But it's my fault. It's my fault that Grover and Tyson are missing. It's my fault that Percy is dead. It's my fault that you came walking into camp looking like you were mauled by a bear. It's all my fault. I know you're trying to make me feel better, but it is my fault."

I reach towards her but she pulls away. Annabeth runs her shaky fingers through her hair. "If I had just made you two come with me or stayed with you then this wouldn't be happening." She lets out a crazy laugh. "If we hadn't split up in the first place then everyone would be safe. I should've never let us separate."

"You can't talk this way. It's not healthy to blame yourself for something that clearly isn't!" I reply.

She covers her face with her hands. "I was supposed to lead this quest. It was my responsibility to make sure we all got back safely. Do you know how horrible I felt when I was the only one who made it back to camp in one piece? I would rather be stabbed to death than feel that ever again." She croaks. "And Percy is _dead_ because I'm not a competent leader. I-I know everyone expects me to be strong about this, but I can't! I just can't let it go."

I pull her into a hug and this time she doesn't pull away. Instead she clings to me very tightly and cries into my shoulder. Nothing I can say will make her feel better about this. Annabeth has to figure out on her own that none of this is her fault. The only way that she can move on is if she comes to that conclusion by herself. But she's stubborn and something tells me that she never will.

"Are you hungry?" I ask quietly.

"No." Annabeth says. Her stomach grumbles. I laugh silently and I swear I see a small smile on her face. "Maybe a little."

I stand up. "Then let's go get dinner."

She shakes her head. Annabeth turns back to her papers. "I... have too much work to do. I need to get all this finished." She gestures towards various maps of the camp and different sheets with battle plans.

I sit back down. "You need a break. You're going to run yourself in the ground." Annabeth doesn't respond. Then it hits me what the real reason that Annabeth doesn't want to leave the cabin. "Are you... are you afraid of what people think of you?"

She scoffs at me and rubs several stray tears from her face. "Of course not. I'm Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena. Why would it matter what everyone thinks of me?"

"Annabeth. Don't lie to me." I scold.

She glares at me, scribbles something on a piece of paper, then turns towards me. "I don't want to talk about it, Rina."

"So you admit that the reason that you don't want to go eat dinner because of something more than work."

She raises a finger. "I never said that."

"You implied it."

Annabeth sighs. "Fine! Fine. I'm embarrassed." She takes in my confused expression. "If I can't lead a group of five people through a silly quest, then how can I be expected to lead an entire cabin in war?"

I place my hands on my hips. "Name one person who doesn't think you're a good leader." She stays silent. "Exactly! You're _Annabeth Chase_, for gods' sake! Why would you care what people think of you?"

The edges of her mouth curve into an almost-smile at me using her words against her. "Maybe getting some dinner won't hurt."

I smile. Finally I was getting somewhere with Annabeth. This was the longest conversation I have had with her ever since I returned to camp. We left her cabin and ate dinner at the Athena table. And I like to think that for the first time in days, Annabeth completely forgot about her responsibilities and enjoyed herself.

* * *

><p>Another week had passed and no news came about whether or no Percy was alive. Though it saddened him, Chiron officially proclaimed that Percy Jackson is dead. Camp completely shut down for the day. Every single camper is walking to the amphitheater to attend Percy's funeral. Even the people who never really knew him are paying their respects. Even the Ares Cabin are staying respectful.<p>

The moment when I see the large pile of wood is when it really hits me. Before now, I never seemed to completely realize that Percy isn't coming back. I have been in some sort of denial and held onto hope that I never gave myself a chance to grieve. Now, two weeks after the volcano incident, I know that Percy will never return to Camp Halfblood. I will never see my friend ever again. This is the end.

Instead of feeling sad, I just feel incredibly angry at Hephaestus for sending us to his forge, at the telekhines, and even angry at Mount St. Helens for existing. Hot, angry tears race down my face. My hands clench together so hard that they're pure white. The anger deep down in my gut screams for revenge. There's nothing I want more to do now than to race to Hephaestus's forge and stab him in the face, even if he wasn't directly the cause of Percy's death.

Annabeth's shoulders shake with the tears that she's holding back. It's like she has cried so much that she can't bear to cry anymore. She holds the shroud in her hands like it's a newborn child.

I sit next to Silena who rubs my back comfortingly. She must assume that I feel sad because she tells me that everything will be okay and that Percy would want me to be happy again. What she should tell me is that Percy doesn't want me to die trying to avenge him against a god. _That_ would be better than saying that Percy wouldn't want me to feel sad or that he probably got Asylum.

Someone walks forward and starts the fire. It's time for the ceremony to begin. The pile of wood bursts into flames that match the mood of the camp. Instead of the usual cheery yellow, it's a dark black with flickers of blue.

Chiron steps forward with Annabeth close behind. He gazes at the fire with sad eyes. "It has been two weeks since Percy has gone missing. Even longer since he left for the quest in the Labyrinth with his companions. After such a long absence and the circumstances of what happened, we can only assume that Percy Jackson is dead. It is unlikely that our prayers will ever be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors." He steps back and lets Annabeth walk towards the flames.

Annabeth gazes at the shroud one last time then sets it in the flames. After that, she can't bring herself to look back at the piece of fabric as it burns to ash. "He was the bravest friend that I have ever had." Annabeth chokes back a sob then her face turns a bright red. Then it turns to horror. "He's right there!" She shrieks. We all turn our heads to see Percy himself standing at the entrance to the amphitheater.

At first I thought that this was a ghost, but Percy looks too solid to be one. Silena nudges me forward. I don't waste any time to race towards him. In a matter of seconds, I have him trapped in a large hug. Then I step back and slap him hard in the face. The other campers make sounds that range from 'ouch' to 'ooo'. Inside I feel satisfied when my hand print stays on his cheek. At least now he knows a fraction of what he put us through.

Chiron trots over to us. People move to make room for the large centaur. "Well," Chiron breathes out. "I don't think I have ever been happier to see a camper return. But Percy, you must tell-"

Annabeth steps forward and nearly falls off the stage into the fire, but she catches herself. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" She yells. I quickly move out of the way as she barrels towards him at a frightening speed. The campers were smart enough to dive out of her way. The ones who weren't were pushed aside by a very determined Daughter of Athena. Annabeth engulfs Percy in a huge, bone-crushing hug. Annabeth pulls away immediately. "I thought you were dead, seaweed brain." She whispers with raw emotion.

"I'm sorry. I got lost." Percy says.

Annabeth narrows her eyes. "LOST? FOR TWO WEEKS? Percy, where-"

Chiron holds up his hand. "Annabeth, it would be best to discuss this elsewhere." He turns towards the campers that gathered for Percy's funeral. "Back to your regular activities!" He commands. Chiron grabs the back of Percy's shirt and places him on his back. Then he does the same to Annabeth. And lastly, me.

* * *

><p>All the times that I imagined riding on Chiron's back, a grand total of two times, I never imagined it being this uncomfortable. Maybe it's because there isn't enough room for three people on the centaur's back or maybe it's because he just has a bony back. Either way, I don't want to ride on Chiron's back ever again.<p>

We stop in front of the Big House. The second Chiron comes to a stop, I hop off. Percy has some difficulty but Annabeth and I help him. If it was terrible for me, I can only imagine how bad the ride was for Percy since he is a boy.

Chiron leads us into the Big House. He sits down in his wheelchair while Annabeth, Percy, and I sit in the surrounding chairs by the fireplace.

"Percy, tell us everything." Chiron says.

Percy sucks in a deep breath. "So the dog-fish surrounded me-"

Annabeth sighs. "They're called telekhines."

He shrugs. "Okay, so the telekhines surrounded me. They started to throw lava at me and at first it was fine. Being the Son of Poseidon made me resistant to the fire. But it starting wearing off and I called to the ocean."

I raise an eyebrow. "You called to the ocean in the middle of a volcano?"

Percy nods. "Well it was just something the water nymph at Triple G Ranch told me. The ocean is always inside of me. Then somehow I made the volcano erupt and I flew out and landed on an island."

"I wasn't so lucky." I mumble into my hands.

Percy looks at me. His eyebrows come together. "What do you mean?"

I sigh. "I got flown out of the volcano too."

"But didn't you go with Annabeth to Hephaestus's forge?"

Annabeth kicks her shoe at the rug. "There wasn't enough time. She couldn't turn invisible like me so Rina volunteered to stay behind so I could get to the forge." She says bitterly. Several days ago, Annabeth stopped moping around and instead became a ball of bitterness. Honestly, it was better than having her sit in her cabin all day crying, but she said some of the coldest things to some of the campers. I see that even though Percy has come back from the dead, the bitterness is still there.

Percy's eyes grow wide. His hands run through his hair. "I'm sorry, Rina! If I knew that you were there then I never would've done it. Are you okay? Oh my gods."

Physically, yes. Mentally, not so much, but I don't tell him that. I nod my head. "Stop worrying. I'm fine. Completely fine." I send pointed looks towards Annabeth and Chiron to dare them to tell Percy the condition I was in when I returned to camp. "Just continue with your story."

He clears his throat. Percy looks like he wants to ask more about what happened, but he continues with his story. "After a while, Hephaestus found me. He told me that I could leave, so I did."

"How _did _you leave the island?" Chiron asks.

Percy wiggles in his spot. "On a magical raft." Chiron nods. Surprisingly he immediately accepts the answer. But I guess when you've been involved in the mythical world for so long, nothing ever surprises you. Honestly, I'm not that surprised either. In fact, I have several theories of what happened to Percy. Maybe it has something to do with the weird fuzzy feeling I keep getting from him when he talks about the island or the way his eyes looked sort of sad when he talks about leaving.

Annabeth leans back in her chair. Her face has regained some color, which is a very good sign. I was beginning to think that she went into shock. "You've been gone for two weeks. _Two weeks_. I was so worried about both of you. When I heard the explosion, I thought that..."

Percy frowns. "I know and I'm really sorry. I'm really sorry to you too, Rina. I really didn't mean to blast you out of the volcano with me."

I smile at him. "It's fine. It's not every day that someone can say that they were blasted out of a volcano."

He shakes his head. "I'm still really sorry. I didn't mean to worry or hurt either of you. But I figured out how to get through the Labyrinth when I talked to Hephaestus."

Annabeth's face lights up. "He told you the answer?"

"Well, he told me that I already knew like Hera did. But now I really know. You know Rachael Dare?"

Annabeth stiffens. "I remember her."

Percy doesn't pay any attention to her sharp tone or her stiff posture. "Well, she will lead us through the maze." Annabeth's mouth falls open. Chiron leans back in his wheelchair with a brooding expression on his face. My face looks like Percy just pulled down his pants, spread pudding all over his face, then proceeded to compliment Mr. D on how powerful and great he is. She thought that he was absolutely insane. "She can see through the mist really well, maybe better than us. Rachael will be able to guide us through the maze." Percy explains.

"Percy, that's absolutely crazy!" Annabeth exclaims.

I shake my head. "I agree with Annabeth. That plan is just going to put another person in danger."

Chiron strokes his beard. Annabeth's face almost looks smug. "There is a precedent, though. Theseus used Ariadne to navigate the maze. Harriet Tubman, Daughter of Hermes, used mortals in her Underground Railroad for just this reason." Annabeth's face falls at his words.

She waves her hands frantically around her. "But this is my quest. Chiron! It is my job to lead it."

The centaur leans forward. "I know that, my dear. It is your quest, but you need help."

Then Annabeth does something to Chiron that I never thought she would do in a million years. She sneers at him. "And _this_ is supposed to help? No! It'll just make everything worse! It's wrong! It's cowardly! It's-"

"Hard to admit you need a mortal's help." Percy interrupts.

I cough awkwardly. "Maybe Percy has a point. Maybe-"

The Daughter of Athena throws her hands in the air. "Not you too!" She cries out.

"Annabeth," Percy starts, acting much calmer than her. "It's true. We need her help."

She glares at him. Percy shrinks back in his chair but doesn't back down. It's amazing how he's able to hold her gaze without bursting into tears like she made a Daughter of Hermes do several days ago.

"You are the most annoying person I have ever met. Gods!" Annabeth storms out of the room. The room shakes when she slams the door shut.

Percy frowns. His hands clench in his lap. "So much for the bravest friend she's ever had."

Chiron chuckles. "She'll calm down. She's just jealous."

Percy's eyebrows come together. "Jealous? But..." His cheeks turn red. "It's not like that! It's not."

I stand up abruptly. "In case you haven't noticed yet, Annabeth is very, territorial when it comes to her friends. We were both so worried about you and when you came in here talking about an island..." A nasty feeling climbs in my stomach. There is almost no doubt in my mind that Percy landed on Ogygia. What really upsets me is that if Hephaestus never talked to him, I doubt that my friend would've ever come back. "I know where you were, Percy." I say quietly.

His eyes widen slightly. "I... uhh..."

I hold up my hand to stop him. "You don't have to explain yourself. Just... thank you for coming back. You're a good friend and I would hate to have you stay on that island for forever. Annabeth is thankful too, but she's having a hard time showing it." I shuffle my shoes on the rug awkwardly. "I'm going to go and make sure Annabeth is alright." Before Percy or Chiron could say anything, I rush out the door.

I glance around my surroundings. There is no sign of where Annabeth went. After checking her cabin and the sword arena, I'm completely out of options. It's like she has disappeared off the face of the earth.

I grab a new camper from the collar of the shirt and press them against the tree. This poor kid is a just-claimed Son of Athena. He's new enough that he doesn't know that when Annabeth asks to be left alone, you are under no circumstances to tell anyone where she is. He's been here long enough to know who Annabeth is. Perfect.

"Listen, kid. I'm looking for Annabeth. Where is she?" I say, even though I'm at the most several years older than him.

His brown eyebrows come together. "Annabeth? I just saw her..." He pauses. "Wait, I remember her telling me that I shouldn't tell anyone where she went."

I tighten my hold on the boy. His grey eyes widen with fear. I bet that Athena is frowning down at me right now from her throne in Olympus. "I'm her friend. I need to know where she went." I tell him.

He shakes his head. "I can't tell!" He whines.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I pull my knife out of my purse and stab it in the tree, right next to his head. His eyes look at it fearfully.

I smile. "Now, where is Annabeth?"

* * *

><p>Of all the places that she had to be, Annabeth just <em>had<em> to be here. The mud seeps into my shoes, causing me to cringe. Being a Child of Aphrodite means that mud is our kryptonite. I pride myself in not being like my girly-girl siblings, but mud is just disgusting. It's filthy and it gets everywhere. Even through the tiniest cracks of armor. If I had one wish, it would be to make all the mud on earth disappear.

A tree branch smacks me in the face then there is a chorus of giggles.

"Nymphs." I huff out. Why some of the gods are so into them is beyond me. There are a few, like Juniper, who are lovely to talk to. But most of them are just mischievous and will look for any reason to mess with you.

A nymph with plump red cheeks and cherry colored hair pops up in front of me. She's wearing a short green dress that looks like it's made out of leaves, which it most likely is. "Rina, what are you doing in these parts of the woods?" She says with a song-like voice. She rocks back and forth on her heels.

I cross my arms and give myself an intimidating expression. "I'm looking for Annabeth. I know she's at the meadow so if you would please let me pass." I try to get around her but the nymph is quick. She blocks my every move.

Rose wiggles her finger at me. "Oh no, you aren't getting through. Annabeth said to not let anyone see her. Especially not that 'stupid Son of Poseidon'." She covers her mouth as she giggles.

I gesture towards myself. "Do I look like a Son of Poseidon?"

She chews on her lip and shrugs. "Maybe."

I raise an eyebrow. "Maybe?"

Rose shrugs again. "Maybe." She repeats.

I have to keep my arms glued to my side so I don't smack her on the side of her head. "Rose, please let me go to the meadow." I grit my teeth.

The nymph dances around me. "But the Daughter of Athena doesn't want to see anyone. And the meadow was made specially for people to go to when they don't want to see anyone."

My nails dig into my palms. Rose is really starting to irritate me. "I know that but don't you think that-"

Rose screams suddenly. She slaps her hand on my mouth. "Were you about to say _her_ name?"

I pry her hand off of my mouth and take a step back so I'm no longer in her reach.

The nymph's face is pure fear. "You cannot speak her name! It is taboo to say the name of a deceased nymph. Just saying her name might tear her soul apart! Names have power, you know." She lowers her voice noticeably. Rose looks over her shoulder as if someone is watching her.

"I wasn't about to say her name." I groan.

Rose smiles. She looks almost relieved. "Good! I don't know what I would've done. Probably would've burst into tears. She was my best friend, you know, and I don't want her soul to be torn apart."

I shuffle my feet in the grass. "Well, Annabeth is my best friend. Let me go to the meadow. What if our positions were switched? She would've wanted you to help."

Rose frowns. "But that goes against everything the meadow goes against. That goes against her sacrifice. I don't..."

"Please, Rose. Let me talk to my friend." I beg.

The nymph looks torn. "She would want me to help." She mutters under her breath. Rose does a 180 degree emotional flip. Her face breaks into a smile and she grabs my hand. "You need a nymph's permission into the meadow, so come on!"

We race through the meadow. Rose skips over dead logs and in between trees while I'm struggling to keep up. She can skip surprisingly fast. Rose is like an antelope or something. It's insane. The trees start to spread out until we come to a clearing. If I look closely then I can see the ripple of mist in the shape of a dome over the meadow.

The nymph stops in front the border. A solemn look passes over her face. "Before you enter, I must tell you the story."

I frown. "But I already know the story. The Apollo cabin told me about it a long time ago."

Rose shakes her head. "It's tradition, and they may have gotten the story wrong. Only I know the truth. Forty-three years ago, there was a beautiful nymph who roamed these woods. She was kind to everyone and loved everywhere. She used to go into camp and helped out the campers. One day, she caught the eye of a particular Son of Apollo. She fell in love with his music and his poems. Then she stayed in love because of his kindness and bravery. They were truly special. The couple even had the blessing of Aphrodite! One day, however, it all went away. The Son of Apollo died on a quest for the goddess Aphrodite. When she found out, the nymph went into this clearing and burned down her own tree. Aphrodite is a kind goddess. She felt sadness for the loss of a gorgeous love and two beautiful people. Aphrodite made this meadow so that their love can live on forever. Many campers seek refuge here because it is very calming and a sense of peace washes over all."

Poor Rose looks like she is close to tears. She wipes her eyes frantically and plasters a fake smile on her face. "The only way in is for a nymph or Aphrodite herself to open the barrier of mist. Annabeth is lucky to have a caring friend like you." She digs her hands into what looks like pure air, then pulls apart. It seems like the very fabric of the world is pulled back. I step through the hole in the mist and nearly gasp at the sight. I have never been inside of the meadow but I've heard stories and none of them can truly capture the beauty.

There are no words to describe it accurately. The sky is bluer and the clouds seem fluffier. Waves of lilac rush towards my nose. It seems like there are miles of waving grass and prairie flowers around me. I wouldn't doubt if this little oasis does go on for forever. Sitting on a red picnic basket are a beautiful woman with mahogany hair and pointy ears, a man with bleach blonde hair and odd clothing, and Annabeth. She is talking at a million miles per hour, her hands waving around her just as fast. Both the man and woman listen carefully. Occasionally they would nod their head or comment.

The woman looks up at me. Her face forms a beautiful smile. "Aikarina, please join us!" She calls out. The ground seems to fold just so that I can be closer to the blanket. One minute I'm stand hundreds of feet away from them, the next I'm so close that I could whisper and they would hear me. The woman, who I now see is a nymph hands me a cup of water and a plate with a ham sandwich on it.

I sit down on the blanket, next to Annabeth, awkwardly. "I prefer Rina, actually."

The nymph grabs the hand of her beloved. "Oh, of course. Just like how Vincent prefers to be called Vinny." The man leans down and kisses her forehead. "My name is Kariye but it would be better not to call me that since it _is_ taboo to speak a dead nymph's name. It's silly that many think that saying the name of a nymph can tear a soul apart, but we must respect their customs. Many simply call me Peach since I am a nymph with a peach tree."

My eyes widen. They're both the lovers from the story, but them being here would break ancient laws. The dead cannot leave the Underworld. Hades would never allow. But then their forms shimmer in the light and reveals that they aren't real.

"We're not the real deal, but I would like to think we are." Vinny explains. "Your mother, Aphrodite, created this oasis so that we can help. We are merely projections, but our love is real, nonetheless." Peach giggles and pecks him on the cheek. They both are puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. I'm not sure if it's beautiful or sickening to watch.

I turn towards Annabeth since she hasn't said anything since I have come here. Annabeth sips from her cup but refuses to look me in the eyes. "I needed someone to vent to after Percy just came back like that. In fact, I have been her quite often in the past few weeks. They're both very helpful." She explains.

Peach smiles. "And you are a joy to have with us, Annabeth. We both have enjoyed your company." She frowns at me. "But it seems that Rina is not happy about this."

I nearly slam my plate down on the blanket. A sudden urge to get all of my problems off my chest fills me. "Honestly, no I'm not. Why didn't you just come to me?"

Annabeth gets a distant look in her eyes. "You weren't here when I started coming. I thought you were dead too. I was broken. Absolutely broken thinking that I was the only one who survived. I needed someone to talk to and one of my siblings suggested I come here."

Peach and Vinny hold each other closer at that. Peach looks over her shoulder at a burnt tree that seems out of place in the beautiful valley. "The loss of someone you love can make you do desperate things. I'm glad that we were able to help Annabeth." She says quietly.

Vinny nuzzles his face into Peach's hair. "Me too." He mumbles.

The scene changes from a valley to a small garden. Many different smells fill the air but they don't clash with each other. Instead they complement each other and build each smell up to its best potential. The picnic blanket changes to a metal table surrounded by chairs. Lilacs surround us and small wooden owls scatter the garden like small guardians.

Annabeth sighs. "They don't like to stay in one place for too long. The scene changes to match our needs and their want to change things. Like a compromise. I guess it's perfect since this place was created by Aphrodite."

I nod. "Love is both selfish and selfless at the same time."

Vinny and Peach share a look that says it all. They look so desperately in love.

Annabeth clears her throat. "Um... Peach? Can you escort us out? We're ready to leave now."

Peach grins at the Daughter of Athena. "Are you sure? Do you need to talk more?" Annabeth shakes her head. The nymph stands up and extends her hands to both of us. We take her hands and she leads us out of the garden. The ground seems to move for us. The edge comes closer and closer until we are stand right in front of it. I reach out to touch the almost liquid layer but my hand falls right through.

The nymph giggles. "Only nymphs or the goddess Aphrodite can bend the layer of mist that protects my oasis." Peach tears open the layer just like Rose did before. Her smile looks almost sad. "Goodbye, friends. I hope that one day we will meet again." Annabeth and I say goodbye before stepping out of the tear. It closes behind us with a smacking sound, making it impossible for us to return to the meadow.

Annabeth leads the way out of the woods. She seems to be so familiar with the area that she can probably walk blindfolded.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

The Daughter of Athena shrugs. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine." She snaps.

I rush to catch up to her. "If you want to talk about it..."

Annabeth sighs. "Really, I am. I'm just irritated with Percy. More than usual." She clenches her fists together. "Just sometimes it's like he has seaweed in his head instead of a brain!

I nod and urge her to keep going.

Annabeth turns away from me. She stares off in the distance. "I thought he was dead. I had already mourned for him and I made a promise to myself that after the funeral I wouldn't cry about him ever again. I was about to attempt to move on and then he just _had_ to be alive!"

My eyebrows come together in confusion. "You don't want him to be alive?"

She shakes her head wildly. "No! Of course I want him alive! It's just... I think that he was on Ogygia."

"I know."

"What's really bothering me is that while I was bawling my eyes out every day, Percy was probably kissing Calypso or-or... I don't know. Something _romantic_." Her eyes narrow dangerously and she glares at the dirt like Calypso's face is down there.

"He wouldn't." I tell her. "He wouldn't kiss her after you kissed him at Mount St. Helens."

Annabeth bites her lip in concentration. "Maybe." She gestures towards the Athena cabin once Camp Halfblood is in sight. "I'm going to... ah... look over my notes. See you tomorrow?"

"See ya." She starts to turn away. "You know, Percy likes you too." I say.

Annabeth pauses. "I don't like Percy." She makes a point to put the most disgusted expression on her face. She can't fool me.

A smile breaks out on my face from her denying the truth. "Sure you don't."

She looks at me one last time. "I don't!" She insists. Annabeth closes the door to the cabin behind her.

She may be able to fool herself, but she most certainly can't fool me. Maybe one day she'll realize that she does like him like that.


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you everyone for your support! I love you guys! I'm going to start replying to the reviews from this chapter on before the update because I feel like I will be able to interact with you guys better this way! xoxoxo I hope you like this update!  
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**Outlandish Dreamer: I love your reviews so so so much! Thank you so much for reviewing as much as you do! I'm happy you're enjoying the story! And the asylum thing, I can't believe I didn't catch that! Haha, it's pretty funny though. Thank you again. You're so sweet! **

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* * *

><p><em>I don't know how long we have been down here. Maybe days. Maybe just hours. The time just seems to slip away. It felt like forever since we found the entrance to the Labyrinth. I wonder what the others at camp have been doing since we left. Are they searching for us or are they continuing as normal? We aren't the first campers to disappear, so I can't see Chiron sending a search group after us. I hope Silena, Annabeth, and Ava aren't too worried.<br>_

_I sigh at the mundane tunnel. Everything seems the same. The walls are all the same. The ground is the same. Even my thoughts are becoming the same, centering only on the hope of getting Clarisse and me out of here alive. I have prayed to any god that I thought would listen. Not even Apollo or Athena came to help. Clarisse thought that I was stupid for trying, but I prayed to several Roman gods. I even went as far as to beg my father to crawl out of the Underworld to help me out of here. Later on I even saw Clarisse murmuring a silent plead to her father. We were both getting incredibly desperate. Desperate enough to ask for divine help when both of us would've preferred to fix our own problems.  
><em>

_Clarisse leans on me for support, her face is shrewd into a tight expression. Her limp is worse. The small bit of ambrosia she had earlier barely helped. She's going to need a whole bowl fun of ambrosia to heal this wound._

_"We should rest." I say. My voice is quiet and worn. We're tired, thirsty, and hungry. Dried sweat mats both of our hair. I could clean us both with my powers, but I am too tired to do anything but walk and breathe. Plus, I'm afraid that if I use up any more energy than I have to, I will drop dead.  
><em>

_She is noticeably struggling with an answer and I completely understand. We could stop and waste precious time or we could keep going and risk dying of exhaustion. Both choices could potentially lead to our death. "Rest." She says finally. "We need to rest."_

_We stop in front of a stain-glass door. There is a beautiful scene of a Greek village and a market. The people are smiling and everything is just so cheerful. It's absolutely gorgeous and a nice break from the drab walls and monsters. A sliver of hope rushes through me. Maybe everything in the Labyrinth isn't as bad as we thought. There is some good in this endless maze.  
><em>

_I push open the door with one hand. The room is a dome with pictures similar to the ones on the door. All of them have smiling people and children playing. On the other side of the room is a door, but for some reason I don't want to leave the room. It's too nice in here to leave so suddenly. It wouldn't hurt to look at the paintings for a while. The maze will be waiting for us on the other sides of the doors, so what's the rush?  
><em>

_I set Clarisse on the ground and tighten my sweatshirt around her wound. Clarisse takes her mind off of the pain by staring at the pictures. Suddenly, she laughs. Her throat is so dry that it sounds more like a bark, but a laugh nonetheless. The Daughter of Ares points towards two people on the ceiling. _

_"Those people look like us. Sort of." Clarisse exclaims. "Just, the girl has blonde hair instead of purple and I'm not holding my spear."  
><em>

_"Weird." I mutter. I gaze up at another painting above my head. I swear that there is a man being decapitated in the background. Very creepy. Finally I finish checking on her leg. Clarisse has lost a lot of blood and her leg will never heal properly based on the way she has walked on it. Even if she has all the ambrosia in the world. Clarisse will forever have a scar. We really should've taken more breaks. It isn't fair to make her walk on only one good leg._

_"Stop thinking like I can't handle it." Clarisse growls. "I can see your face, and you're wrong."_

_I sigh. "I'm just worried that your leg will be messed up for forever."_

_The Daughter of Ares frowns slightly. "Just another battle wound. Nothing to worry about. My siblings will love this."_

_We sit in silence, just gazing at the picture above us. What's odd is that every time I blink, I swear that the scene changes. The once smiling people are now frowning. There are swords in people's hands that weren't there before._

_Clarisse sits up with a grunt. "Is it just me or is the picture changing?" I nod. Clarisse stands up with my help. "Rest's over. Let's get out of this creepy room."_

_We scan the small room for a way out. The doors seemed to have disappeared. We can't go back or forward.  
><em>

_"Look for a door. There has to be a way out." Clarisse says. She limps over to a wall and feels for any sort of exit. I do the same thing on the opposite side of the room._

_After twenty minutes of tirelessly looking, we still haven't found an exit. Clarisse and I meet up in the middle of the room._

_"Maybe we could break down one of the walls." I say. "Do you have any more dynamite?"_

_She shakes her head. "I only had the one that we used on the entrance."_

_I lean my head back and squeeze my eyes shut. When I open my eyes, I see that the picture on the ceiling is completely different. I gasp in horror. There is a man cutting off the head of a child with a smirk. It looks so lifelike that it's terrifying. Clarisse looks at the ceiling in curiosity of what made me react that way. Her face drains of color at the scene.  
><em>

_"We're finding an exit... now." She said more to herself. Despite the injury on her leg, she limps over to the wall. I, on the other hand, can't stop staring at the picture. It's like when there is a car accident, you just can't look away despite how horrible it is. "Rina." She says sharply when she sees that I'm still staring at the ceiling. It takes a lot of energy to tear my gaze off of the ceiling. But when I look around, I see similar pictures like that around the walls. All of them either showing murder or war. It's terrible. The two girls that looked like us are pictured as brutally murdered. My eyes sting with tears at the gruesome images._

_A sudden feeling of dread washes over me. A new-found desperation fills my veins. I check each wall as fast and as thorough as I can, but still I find nothing. Clarisse doesn't find an exit either._

_"We will get out of here." Clarisse says confidently. A thin layer of sweat lines her skin but there are goose bumps on her arms. Her body shakes slightly with shivers.  
><em>

_A sharp ringing noise appears in my ears. I cover them with my hand and Clarisse stares at me like I'm insane. "Can't you hear it?"_

_She nods. "The screams, yeah I can."_

_My eyebrows come together in confusion. "What screams? All I hear is a ringing noise."_

_Her eyes glisten with confusion. "What...? They're screaming our names. How can you not hear it?"_

_A wave of coldness washes over me. My body shakes out of my control. "I want to get out of this room now."_

_"Me too." Clarisse whispers._

* * *

><p><em>It is an odd feeling to fall into insanity. It's less falling and more it creeping on you like a fog over a lake. When you realize that you're in it, it's already too late. You're surrounded. Clarisse and I stopped looking for an exit several hours ago, or at least what felt like hours, when our hands were shaking too badly to hold our weapons. There just wasn't a use. Both of us already accepted that this will be where we die.<em>

_Never before had I thought about my own mortality. There wasn't any reason to think about it. But now when I have to stare at my potential death head on, it terrifies me. For some reason it never occurred to me that I am not like the forever-young beings that I was surrounded with on Olympus. The only experience I have with death was my father's, and that it just a faint memory. I will not last forever. I will die someday and face judgement, and that is frightening. _

_I don't want to die, I really don't. I wonder when I do die, if I will end up with my father in the Fields of Punishment. Maybe I will just fade like I've heard that forgotten gods and monsters do. That would be worse to feel myself disappear than an eternity of punishment._

_An uncontrollable sob leaves my lips. It doesn't even sound like me. My hands scratch at the floor, searching for a way out. The walls vibrate and rattle my brain around in my skull. It makes me feel numb.  
><em>

_Clarisse isn't doing much better. She's sitting in a corner with her thumb in her mouth like a baby. For some reason she took off her shoes and threw them at me a while ago with a wild look in her eye. I'm just thankful that she didn't throw her sword._

_I blink my eyes. _Nico_ is in here. He kneels in front of me, but he looks different. His hair is shorter and he is wearing the same odd clothes he wore when he arrived at Camp Halfblood. His face is more plump with youth and he has a large grin. Something tells me that this isn't right, but I don't care._ Nico_ is here. That's all that matters.__ Bianca stands behind him wearing similar clothes, but with a skirt instead of pants. In her hands she holds a deck of Mythomagic cards. She flips them around her fingers like a magician.  
><em>

_"Rina, come and play with us." Nico says. He smiles and I can't help but smile back._

_Bianca nods. "Yeah, come play. There's plenty of cards for each of us. You do remember how to play, right?"_

_I reach out towards the siblings. "I remember. Nico taught me while you were on the quest..." I pause. My smile falls off my face. "You're dead."_

_Her face grows into an almost sinister smile. "Am I? But how could I be dead when I'm standing right in front of you?"_

_"You're dead. I'm sure of that." I repeat._

_Bianca skips to her brother's side. "Well, if I'm really dead, then how come you can see me? Can you answer that, Daughter of Aphrodite and Tyler the Fighter?" She answers with a snide tone. My frown falls even deeper. This doesn't sound like Bianca. It's a completely different person._

_Nico takes a step forward. "Unless, you're dead too." He says. His eyes lit up. "Yes! That's it! You're dead, Rina."  
><em>

_I place a hand on my heart. There is a heartbeat. "I'm not dead. I can't be." I insist.  
><em>

_Bianca and Nico sit in front of me. Bianca hands me my knife. "Of course you are. Why else would you be rotting away?" She points at my hands._

_I look down to see my skin peeling away. I scream so loud that it makes Clarisse scream too, who I have completely forgot about in the moment. "Make it stop!" I shriek at my hands. The stink is so revolting. It's too horrible to look at.  
><em>

_Nico points at my blade. My eyes tear away from my hands to look at the dagger. "Use the knife. Put an end to your suffering." He tells me.  
><em>

_The knife looks so promising. My eyebrows come together in confusion. "But if I'm already dead, then why would I need to kill myself?"_

_"JUST DO IT!" Bianca and Nico shout.  
><em>

_I back away from the siblings. Bianca and Nico inch towards me slowly like tigers hunting their prey.  
><em>

_I shake my head. My greasy, purple hair block my vision of the two. "I... I can't!"_

_"Yes you can." Annabeth says. I turn around to see Percy and Annabeth leaning against the wall. Their faces are void with emotion. "You have to. It's your only choice."_

_"My only choice." I repeat. In my mind, it makes sense. If Annabeth says it's my only choice, then that is what it is. Annabeth would never lie to me and she's always right. None of my friends would like to me. There is no reason not to trust them. "What about Clarisse?" I ask. A stab of worry for my friend stops my from plunging the knife into myself.  
><em>

_Percy moves away from the wall and towards me. "Help her too. Put an end to her suffering." He smiles and his green eyes sparkle with joy.  
><em>

_"You can do it." Nico urges. "You have to."_

_"You must do it." All four of them say at the same time with a monotone voice.  
><em>

_I twist the knife around in my hand and look at Clarisse. It's heartbreaking to see. Her face is screwed up in pain and her hands are bloody from digging her nails in her palm. She looks so helpless and afraid. I have to help her. I have to help us._

_"You all are right. I have to help us." I murmur, my voice sounding distant and robotic. "This is what I should do. They're right." I walk towards Clarisse. My feet drag as I try to walk through the fog that is my mind. Something doesn't feel right but I can't put my finger on it. She looks past me at something horrible. Her face is pure horror. I turn around to see her only look at Annabeth, Percy, Nico, and Bianca. I stand in front of the girl. "Please don't be angry with me. I'm helping you." I tell her but she doesn't hear me. I am just about to stab her with my knife when I hear a snap and smell grapes._

_The buzzing in my ear goes away and the images on the walls change back to the peaceful ones it was when we first came to this room. I can see the entrance again. And most importantly, the fog lifts. The insanity that was once in me was gone. Also, Annabeth, Nico, Bianca, and Percy are gone. There isn't even a sign that they were here. I'm not sure anymore if they were even with me. My mind feels muddled but reason and rationality is slowly returning.  
><em>

_Clarisse blinks rapidly. "Thank you, Mr. D." She says._

_I fall to the ground at disbelief of what I was just about to do. I was about to kill my friend, even if I was manipulated to think that I was doing the right thing. Guilt quickly clouds my heart.  
><em>

_"What happened?" My voice cracks but I hold in the tears._

_"This room caused us to go insane. Something to do with those... monsters... I don't know what they were, but I know they did it to us. I prayed to Mr. D to help us, since he is good with things like insanity. Thank the gods he actually listened for once, after my hundredth time trying to get him to help us." She frowns. "Bad news, we now have to clean the showers for the next two months."  
><em>

_I hug myself to keep my hands from shaking. "Let's leave. I don't want to stay in this room any longer."_

_She nods. This time it's her turn to help me up. Together we leave that terrible room, and I just hope that I never have to see it again._

* * *

><p><em>Clarisse and I pause at the sound of cars on a street. My mind instantly thinks that it's just another cruel trick from the maze, but my curiosity urges me to check it out. Clarisse and I follow the sound until we come upon a door. We both smile. This is it. We're free.<br>_

_I open the door and nearly collapse with happiness. A cry of happiness leaves my lips. The exit to the Labyrinth was just under the underpass of a bridge. Cars rush by as quickly and there are several homeless people under the bridge as well. They give us odd looks, and several mutter things around teenagers fooling around._

_"We made it!" I exclaim. I help Clarisse out of the doorway. We both take in as deep of breaths as we can. The air is mixed with car exhaust and rubber, but it smells so like freedom and life, something that we were starved up in the Labyrinth__. Somehow we survived. I'm not sure how, but we did. I can never be happier._

_Clarisse smiles. She hugs me tightly. I feel tears fall from her eyes and on my neck. "We actually made it." She whispers. Clarisse pulls away and rubs her eyes violently. She jabs a beefy finger my way but her face looks kind. "If you tell anyone that I cried, I won't hesitate to make you a dummy in the sparing arena."_

_I can't help but smile at her weak threat. "I promise I won't. Let's get home." _

_We walk up to a homeless person. He looks like he hasn't taken a shower in weeks, but so do we.  
><em>

_"Where are we?" Clarisse asks.  
><em>

_The man raises an eyebrow. "On the highway, sweetheart. You lost?"_

_He speaks English. That's a good sign. At least we didn't end up in Mexico or Italy or something. _

_"What state is this?" I ask, not answering his question._

_"Pennsylvania, but..." He starts. The man shakes his head. "You know what, I don't wanna know." The man points down the highway. "Bus stations' that way if you're interested. Someone nice will be able to give you instructions, you sweet girls." He smiles at me with a toothy grin. The man's eyes glisten with pride. I back up slightly since it's starting to freak me out. The man digs into his jacket and hands me one hundred dollars._

_"What are you...?" I ask._

_He shakes his head. "Take it. You need it more than I do. You both did a wonderful job. Bye bye!" He says in a chipper tone that sounds so familiar._

_Clarisse and I walk in the direction that the man pointed us to. She still has a limp but the excitement of being free must be numbing the pain. I look at the hundred dollar bill. In the corner there is a picture of a sun with a face on it. It looks unmistakably like Apollo.  
><em>

_I smile. "Thank you."_

_He cares enough to help._

* * *

><p>"I don't like this." Silena tells me for the millionth time.<p>

I sigh. "I'll come back again."

"What if you don't?" She counters.

"I will!"

"You don't know that!"

I slam my purse down on my bed with a soft thud. "Silena, I will come back. There is no way that I won't. I have to do this."

She purses her lips. "I know you do, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

I turn towards my sister. "I'm not asking you to like it, I'm asking you to support me."

Silena frowns. She looks like she's thinking carefully of the words she is going to say. "I do support you. You're my sister, I will always support you... even if you're making a stupid decision-"

"Silena! What happened to supporting me!"

She raises her hands in innocence. Silena sits on my bed next to me. "I understand that when you start something, you have to finish it. Promise me you won't get hurt."

I nod. I can at least promise that if it keeps her from worrying.

Annabeth walks into the cabin after knocking on the door. Her eyes are stone cold, but the stern look isn't directed towards us. It's more about Percy 'hijacking' her quest. "It's time to go. Are you ready?" I nod, give Silena a hug, and then follow Annabeth to the road where Argus has his van.

On the way to the van, I notice that Annabeth looks like she's going to throw up. Her face is pale and she looks like she barely got any sleep.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" I ask.

"Enough." She answers, not bothering to explain any more. We reach the top of the hill where Argus is leaning against the van. He acknowledges us then continues to watch over the camp with his many eyes. "Where is Percy? He is never on time." Annabeth complains

"He's running on Percy-time, but he'll be here." I answer. Annabeth cracks a smile.

The Daughter of Athena nods. "It there's one thing I learned about Percy over the years I've known him, he will often be late, but he will never stand someone up."

Finally we see him we see him running up the hill. His shirt is backwards and his shoes are untied, which he nearly trips on with each step. "Sorry!" He huffs out when he finally reaches the top. "I kind of overslept."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "Come on, seaweed brain. Let's go."

Argus insisted on us sitting in the back seat, which was made for only two people. I ended up having to sit on Annabeth's lap, nearly flying towards the windshield every time the van hit a bump.

"You sure I can't sit in the front?" I ask Argus again. I jab my fingers into my palm to keep myself from yelling at the man.

He nods his head and jabs his finger my way, sending the message that he doesn't trust the boxes of strawberries in the front seat with Annabeth and Percy. He doesn't say anything, but maybe that is because there is a rumor that he has eyes everywhere. Including his tongue. If I had an eye on my tongue, I wouldn't speak much either.

We hit another pot hole. Percy throws his arm in front of my right before I fly into the front seat. I thank him from keeping my head from smashing into the windshield. Maybe then Argus would let me sit in the front seat. Great. I'd have to be bleeding out for him to let me sit in the stupid front seat. Sometimes I think Argus cares more about the strawberries that camp sells than us.

Percy looks at Annabeth with concern. "Had bad dreams?"

She shakes her head, accidentally whipping me with her blonde hair. "No. Eurytion Iris-messaged me last night. I had trouble falling asleep after that." Annabeth says quietly.

I shift so that I can look at her. "Eurytion? Why?"

Percy's eyes grow wide. "Is something wrong with Nico?"

Annabeth looks between us, as if deciding whether it would be best to tell us. The gears grind in her head. She finally sighs and tells us. "He told me that Nico left the ranch last night. Percy, Rina, he went into the maze."

My mouth falls down in shock. "Why would he do that?"

She shrugs. "Well, Eurytion said that he was really broken up when he said that he felt you die. He also said that Nico didn't believe him when he that you weren't dead, so he probably isn't thinking straight."

I place my head in my hands. It's my fault that Nico is in danger.

"It's not your fault, Rina." Percy says, knowing what I'm thinking. "Didn't Eurytion try to do something?"

"There wasn't much he could do." Annabeth tells us. "Nico left before Eurytion woke up. He tried tracking him with Orthus, but stopped at the cattle guard. He said that he has heard Nico talk to himself, but now he thinks that he was talking to ghosts again."

"He's in danger." Percy says.

"No kidding!" I reply.

She nods. "Minos may be one of the judges of the dead, but he is incredibly vicious and evil. I don't know what he wants with Nico, but whatever it is, it cannot be good."

Percy shakes his head. "That's not what I meant. Last night I had a dream about Luke. He was leading an army through the maze, looking for Ariadne's string. He said something about Quintus and Luke also said that he found a halfblood alone in the maze."

"That is very, very bad." Annabeth pales visibly. My face falls slack with disbelief.

"What do we do?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Well it's a good thing that you have a plan to guide us, huh?" She says bitterly to Percy.

Percy nods, not catching the venom in her voice. "Yeah, I guess it is. Argus, it's on the right. Thanks." Argus turns to another street then stops in front of an apartment building.

Since I have lived all my live in Olympus, I haven't had much of a chance to explore New York. But now, being in front of the large apartment building, I find it underwhelming compared to the streets of Olympus. It's pretty amazing, but I prefer the Greek architecture to tall buildings with hundreds of windows any day.

Percy guides us through the building to his floor. He knocks on the door and several seconds later, his mom opens it. She cries out in joy when she sees her son and gives him an enormous hug. "I _told_ them you were alright!" She tells us. She doesn't let go of her son for one second. "Now, I know who Annabeth is, but who is this?" She asks me.

I smile. "My name's Rina."

"It's nice to meet you, Rina."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Jackson."

The woman laughs. "No, no. Just call me Sally. Come in!" She guides us towards the kitchen and pulls out a tupperware filled to the brim with blue cookies. Despite the odd color, they taste very good.

"Now, catch me up on this quest of yours." Sally says, not leaving room for argument.

Percy tells her everything that happened while trying to make it seem like it wasn't as terrifying as his mom has the impression that it was. He avoids telling her the details of the monsters or how the tunnels never seemed to end. The way he made it sound was like we took a stroll through Central Park.

"So," Sally leans forward in her chair. ", you ruined part of Alcatraz Island, made Mt. St. Helens explode, and displaced half a million people." The woman sighs. "You could've blown up the moon for all I care, as long as you're safe."

Percy smiles. "Thanks mom."

"I wish Paul was here. He really wanted to talk to you."

His smile falls. "Oh. Right. The school." Percy looks up at his mother. "What did you tell him?"

"What could I say? He's a smart man. He knows that something is different about you, Percy." She sighs. "He knows that you aren't a bad person but he doesn't know what's going on. The school is pressuring him since he was the one who got you admitted there in the first place. Paul has to convince the board that it wasn't you that started the fire. And since you ran away, that looks very bad."

"I'll talk to him after the quest. I promise. After this is all over, I can tell him the truth. If that's what you want, I mean." Percy promises.

Her eyes glisten with pride. "You would do that?"

"Well, of course! I mean, he'll probably think we're crazy."

Sally smiles. "He already does."

"Then we have nothing to lose."

She places her hand on her son's shoulder. "Thank you. I'll tell him you'll be home..." She pauses. "When? What will happen now?"

Annabeth roughly breaks her cookie in half. Crumbs fall to the table, which I quickly clean up with my napkin. The last thing Annabeth and I need is for Percy's mom to think that we're slobs. "Percy has this _plan_." She almost sneers.

Her mother raises an expecting eyebrow. Percy looks reluctant. Most likely because he's afraid it will worry his mother more than she already is.

"I know someone named Rachel. We were thinking that she could lead us through the maze. She can see through the mist. It worked with Ariadne so maybe it can work for us. Rachel will lead us to Daedalus's workshop then we can ask for his help before Luke can get there." Percy's eyebrows come together in concentration. "You have the same abilities too, right? You can see through the mist like she can?"

She sighs, sounding almost sad. "Not as much as I can now. It was easier when I was younger. That was one of the things that caught your father's eye when we met. Just be careful. Please, Percy. Stay safe. Annabeth, Rina, will you keep my son safe for me?"

"We'll try, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth says. She crosses her arms. "But keeping your son safe is a big job."

Percy's mom frowns. She looks between her son and Annabeth. "What's going on? Are you two fighting?"

Neither of them say anything.

I clear my throat. "They're... a little mad at each other." I answer.

Annabeth glares at me while Percy looks down at his napkin and cookie.

"What happened?" Nobody answers. Sally sighs. "Just remember that Grover and Tyson are counting on all three of you." Sally says.

"I know." We all three say at the same time.

A smile creeps up on the woman's face. "Percy, you better use the phone in the hallway. Good luck."

Percy walks quickly on of the apartment while Annabeth and I take our time.

"Thank you for the cookies." I say. Ms. Jackson hands me several more cookies for the road. This will be a nice treat for later.

"It always nice to meet Percy's friends. I hope that I see you again sometime, Rina."

Annabeth and I exit the apartment right when Percy finished calling Rachel. She told him to meet her in Times Square. She didn't give us any more details, but she also said that we should be able to easily find her.

* * *

><p>Percy and Annabeth aren't as tense as I am as we walk through the street. If there was one thing that I learned since I was sent out of Olympus, is that Mr. D. was right. When he drove me to Camp Halfblood the first night, he said that I would attract monsters like a light attracts a moth. He was right. Maybe it's my scent of the power I give off, but monsters seem to show up more often when I'm around. Perhaps it's just rotten luck. Whichever one it is, it's not a good idea for me to just roam out in the open.<p>

"You'll like her, Rina." Percy reassures me. "You don't have to be nervous."

I snort at him thinking that I am nervous to meet Rachel. "It's not that." My eyes scan the street for anything that is out of place. Nothing is out of the ordinary, but I will keep looking.

"Then what?" He asks. "If you want to go back to camp, then that's fine. Annabeth and I won't mind."

I shake my head. "It's not that either. It's just... I attract monsters."

Annabeth chews her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Is it because you aren't truly a halfblood?" I stay silent and the Daughter of Athena takes that as a yes. "That would make sense. If you do the math, you do technically have more 'Greek god' in you than us. We'll help you look out for anything."

We stop suddenly. Percy and Annabeth stare at a girl covered in gold paint who is standing still in front of a hotel with five other people. I can only guess that girl is Rachel. Tourists stare at them and a couple put dollar bills into a jar with a sign in front of it saying what the donations were for. The letters shift awkwardly and a headache forms. In my opinion, it is much easier to read Greek than English. It always makes my head hurt and the letters move around too much.

I wave my hand in front of her face. Her bright green eyes don't even blink. I consider fake punching her, but I have a feeling that she wouldn't appreciate that.

"Is she dead?" I ask suddenly.

Percy shakes his head. "No, she's not." He pauses. He waits several moments to see if she's breathing. When her nose flares, he relaxes. "No, she's alive."

We stand there for several more minutes but nothing happens.

Annabeth shifts on her feet. "Maybe we can push her over?" I nod, thinking that was a good idea but Percy quickly shuts it down, saying that was rude and mean, but neither of us listen. I think it's worth pushing her over to get to speak to her. Right now, finding the Labyrinth is higher on my priority list than being super polite. Time is ticking.

Several minutes pass and _still_ nothing happens. Then, a boy covered in silver paint walks up and stands next to Rachel. He takes a pose that reminds me of Hera lecturing Apollo and Hermes for pulling April Fool's Day jokes on Ares. The girl unfreezes. Her face forms a huge smile and she looks at us for the first time since we've arrived.

"Percy! Great timing! Do you want to donate? It's for a good cause." She says with a chipper voice.

Percy digs into his pockets and pulls out two dimes. I pull out several drachmas, but she tells me that they only accept American money. Annabeth doesn't bother to search for anything to donate.

"Come on, let's get some coffee."

She leads us to a small coffee shop with many decorations on the wall ranging from old posters to a moose head. Annabeth and Percy order several smoothies, I don't order anything, and Rachel ordered an Espresso Extreme. Somehow I have a feeling that Rachel plus coffee is not a good idea. Her eyes are a little wider and her movements are quicker and choppier.

We sit at the table right underneath the moose. The others don't seem bothered by it but it freaks me out. I think that's it's morbid and gross to have dead animals hang on your walls, but maybe that's just Grover rubbing off on me.

Rachel's green eyes stare at me. "I don't think I've met you."

I reach over the table to shake her golden hand. "My name's Rina."

She smiles. "Hello, Rina. My name is Rachel." She looks over at Annabeth. Her eyebrows come together in concentration. "It's Annabell, right?"

"Annabeth." She quickly corrects. "Do you always dress in gold?"

Rachel shrugs. "Not usually. We're raising money for our art group. We do volunteer art projects for elementary school kids. Y'know, cause they're cutting art programs. We do something like this about once a month. Nothing big. On a good weekend we can bring in five hundred dollars." She pauses and points at Annabeth and me. "You're both halfbloods?"

Annabeth violently shushes her. She looks around us suspiciously. "Don't just announce that to the whole world! Who knows who is listening?"

Rachel rolls her eyes. "Nobody _cares_. I could yell it to the whole coffee shop and nobody would care."

I narrow my eyes. My impression of Rachel is beginning to become a very bad one. "Actually, there are three people sitting right in front of you that would care very much if you did that."

Rachel starts to stand up. "HEY EVERYBODY-" Annabeth dives forward, almost knocking their drinks over, and clamps her hand over Rachel's mouth. I pull the girl down so that she's back in her seat.

"This isn't a game, mortal!" Annabeth hisses.

"You three need to calm down!" Percy exclaims. His eyes are wide with shock of what happened.

"I don't know about these two, but I'm perfectly calm!" Rachel nearly yells. "Every time I'm around you, some monster tries to attack us. Why wouldn't I be calm?"

Percy leans forward in his chair. "I'm really sorry about what happened in the band room. I hope they didn't kick you out of the school or anything like that."

Rachel shakes her head. "Nah. They just asked about you a lot. All I did was play dumb."

"Was it hard?" Annabeth asks innocently.

Percy raises his hands in exasperation. "Stop! We've got a really, _really_ big problem and we need your help."

Rachel narrows her eyes at Annabeth who is busy stirring her drink with her straw. "You do?"

Annabeth sighed. "Yeah, maybe we do." She mutters under her breath.

"You know the Labyrinth from mythology?" I ask. Rachel nods with wide eyes. "Well, we found it. Luke is going to lead an army of monsters through it to attack Camp Halfblood. If that happens, a lot of people are going to get hurt."

"And where do I come in?"

I hold up a finger. "I'm getting there. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and I went into the maze to find Daedalus's workshop. It didn't work out. We got separated and two out of the five got blown out of a volcano. If we had made it there, we could've ask for his help to defeat Luke or at least get Ariadne's string from him so that Luke wouldn't able to navigate the Labyrinth. We need you to lead us there."

"So let me get this straight." Rachel starts. She looks incredibly confused. I don't think that she even knows who Luke is and we're piling everything on her at once. "You want me to guide you through a killer maze, through a place that I have never stepped foot in?"

"You can see through the mist better than us." Percy reasons. "The maze won't be able to fool you as easily. I bet that you will be able to see the path like Ariadne could."

"And if you're wrong?"

"Then we'll get lost, and things would get very, very dangerous."

Her green eyes grow wider. "I could die?"

"We all could." Annabeth answers.

Rachel groans and places her head in her hands. "And I thought you said that monsters don't care about mortals."

Percy frowns. "Normally they don't, but Luke doesn't care whether you're mortal or not. He'll use or kill anyone to get his way."

Annabeth glares at him. "He's under the Titan's influence. Luke's being deceived."

I place a hand on her arm to keep Annabeth from pouncing on Percy. "Now is not the time to argue." I turn towards the reason that we came here in the first place. "So, what do you say?"

"I'm in." She says without hesitation.

Percy looks taken aback that she answered so confidently and quickly. "Are you sure, Rachel?"

She shrugs. "Sure. I mean, this summer was going to be incredibly boring and that is the best offer that I have gotten. So where do we go now?"

"We have to find an entrance to the Labyrinth." Annabeth says. "There's one at Camp Halfblood, but mortals can't go there." She turns towards. "What about the entrance that you and Clarisse went into a while ago?"

I scowl at the memories that come up. "It's moved somewhere else. We checked. We could try and find the one we came out of in Pennsylvania, but I don't remember where it is."

Rachel places her chin in her hands. "Well, what does an entrance look like?"

"That's the problem." I say. "It can be literally anything. A wall, boulder, a doorway, sewer entrance. But it just would have the mark of Daedalus on it."

"What does that look like?"

Annabeth sighs, clearly irritated with Rachel's questions. "The Greek letter Delta and it glows blue."

Rachel perks up. She draws the symbol with water on the table. "Like this?"

The Daughter of Athena's eyes grow wide with surprise. "That's exactly it. Do you know Greek?"

"No. Let me get changed first then you're coming with me to the Marriott."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because there's a door in the hotel basement that has the mark of Daedalus on it."

Annabeth stands up abruptly. "Let's go, then. We can't waste any more time."

We practically run to the hotel. The whole time my heart beats crazily. _Here we go again_.


	21. Chapter 21

**I love you all so much! Thank you everyone who has favorite/followed/reviewed!**

**Guest: It's still going to be a tad longer until Rina sees some romantic love because she still is young and needs to grow up some more. I want you guys to see her mature and grow into the person she will be before the romance. But don't worry, it will happen soon ;)  
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><p>I push the dirty laundry bin out of the way. Sure enough there is a faint mark of Daedalus on the metal door. Rachel looks at it warily. I sigh, knowing that I will have to go into the Labyrinth for what seems like the millionth time. "It hasn't been used for a long time." I comment. I run my hand on the rusty door. It looks like the door hasn't been open in years.<p>

The red-headed girl shrugs. "I tried to open it earlier but it's rusted shut, so I don't know how we'll open it. Maybe there's a crowbar somewhere that we can use."

Annabeth shakes her head. "We don't need a crowbar and it's not rusted shut. It just needs the touch of a demigod." She touches the mark with her pointer finger. It glows a faint blue and the door opens to a dark hallway.

Rachel's eyes grow wide, but other than that, she doesn't look scared. "So... after you guys?" She gestures towards the entrance.

Annabeth smirks. "You're the guide."

Rachel cautiously steps into the dark hallway. I turn on the flashlight that Apollo gave me, immediately lighting up the hallway. Rachel yelps and jumps behind us. A skeleton hangs in front of us on chains. It blocks the entire corridor with its large bones. The oddest part of it is that there is only one eye socket. My mind flashes to Tyson and I get a sick feeling in my stomach. But then the rational part of my brain comes through and tells me that the bones are much too old to belong to Tyson. Percy looks like he's thinking the same things because his face turns a concerning shade of green.

"It's a cyclops." Annabeth says slowly. Her face turns slightly paler. "It's really old. Maybe hundreds of years old. It's... nobody that we know."

Rachel swallows nervously. She purposefully turns away from the skeleton. "You have a friend who's a cyclops?"

"Tyson. He's my half-brother." Percy answers casually.

Her mouth falls open in shock. "Your _half-brother_? How does that work?"

"Well," I start, "he's Percy's half-brother on his father's side. When Poseidon and a..." I stop when I see that Percy and Annabeth are staring at me. Percy looks more startled that I'm explaining how his brother was made and Annabeth is irritated that I'm explaining demigod things to Rachel. I turn to the girl. "Nevermind. It's not important."

"I really hope we find him down here." Percy says as he pushes past the skeleton. I move as close to the wall as possible so that I don't accidentally touch it.

Annabeth nods. "We will. And Grover too?"

Rachel squeals when she is nearly hit with the leg bone. "Who's Grover?" She regains her brave face.

"He's our friend, and a Satyr."

She nods. "That's... great. Let's get going then." Rachel quickly takes the lead. She walks with such confidence it's like she owns the maze. It's odd how at ease she is considering where we are.

We come to a split in the maze. One tunnel goes into a hallway of dirt and roots. It looks exactly like the one Grover and Tyson went down. The other choice is to go right where it looks like it was taken right out of ancient Greece. The last choice is to go straight, deeper into the dark abyss. Or, I guess we can turn around, but that just seems like a bad idea.

Percy points towards the hallway with the roots. "That looks like the one that Grover and Tyson took. Do you think it's the same one?"

Annabeth purses her lips. "Maybe. I can't be sure. But to the right, the architecture is older. That way is most likely to lead us to Daedalus's workshop."

I look between the two hallways. "Which one should we take?"

"Neither." Rachel says quickly. "We need to go straight."

Annabeth frowns and her eyebrows come together. "That's the most likely of the choice. That makes no sense."

"You don't see it?" Rachel asks. Her bright green eyes sparkle curiously at the thought that she can see something we can't. "Look at the floor. There's brightness there that is sort of like a path. It's very faint but straight is the right way. I _know_ it is. To the left the roots are moving like feelers. I don't like that one bit. To the right there is a trap twenty feet down. Not sure what it is, but I think there are spikes. Probably shouldn't risk that."

I squint my eyes and try to focus on what she is saying, but I can't see anything. Even with the flashlight it is a blob of darkness to me. There is a small moment of doubt in my mind if Rachel actually sees this or she's just making it up as she goes along. Annabeth must be thinking the same thing because her eyes narrow in on the back of Rachel's head.

Percy nods. "Okay. Forward then."

Annabeth glares at him. "You believe her?"

"Yeah. Do you?" Percy asks innocently.

She looks conflicted but she hastily waves her hand to signal Rachel to lead the way. We walk down a hallway covered in dirty bricks. It looks like nobody has been this way for years. It twists wildly like a snake. One minute we're heading one direction, then it curves the other way. It's very disorienting and I doubt that I am able to find my way back again.

A feeling of dread quickly washes over me. We haven't seen a trap in a long. My body tenses and I look around the corridor warily. Percy and Annabeth both seem to be on edge like I am. It's too easy. I flinch at every noise, expecting an axe or something to fly at my head.

"So... don't see any traps up there?" Percy asks anxiously.

Rachel shakes her head. "Absolutely nothing. The whole hallway is clear." Her eyebrows come together in confusion. "Should it be this easy?"

"I'm not sure. It wasn't before." Percy replies.

I bite my bottom lip nervously. "This time we have someone who knows where they're going, so maybe it should be this easy." I say, not believing my words at all.

Rachel frowns. "I really hope so, because it's freaking me out."

Annabeth shuffles alongside me. She is staring daggers into Rachel. It is clear to everyone but Rachel that Annabeth does not like the red-head. Or maybe she knows but doesn't care enough to discuss it. Either way, I feel sorry that she has to suffer Annabeth's unjustified wrath. "So," Annabeth starts with a rude tone, "where exactly are you from?"

"Brooklyn." Rachel answers quickly. She turns the corner and we quickly race after her.

Annabeth nods. "Aren't your parents going to be worried that you're going to be out for a while?"

Rachel slowly shakes her head. I can't see her face, but I bet it's a sad and thoughtful one based on the tone of her voice. "No. They probably wouldn't even notice that I'm gone."

The rude expression on Annabeth's face washes to an understanding one. If anyone understands what that feels like, it's Annabeth. "They won't? Why?"

Rachel opens her mouth to answer but snaps it shut when there is a creak of a huge, metal door opening. Shortly after there is a thump.

"What was that noise?" Annabeth hisses. Several sets of large footsteps come our way. I extend my knife so that it is a long sword. Percy prepares to uncap his sword and Annabeth has her hand on our knife. Rachel hides behinds us, holding out her blue comb as a weapon. If she expects to take down any monster with that, then she is in for a rude awakening.

"Run?" Percy suggests.

Rachel nods, her red hair flying everything. "Running sounds good."

We turn around immediately and run the way that we came. The hallway seems to have shifted but it doesn't really matter, as long as we were running away from the footsteps. Despite how fast we run the footsteps come closer and closer. It feels like we're in the middle of a terrible horror movie. I expect one of us to randomly trip and be swallowed by the shadows at any moment. We turn the corner and see two dracaenae jab their spears at our chests. They have full Greek armor that looks odd on their snake-like bodies. The spears are extra sharp, and something tells me that the two monsters are very skilled with the weapon.

An empousa steps out from behind the monsters. She waddles on her bad leg and her eyes shine bright red. Her hair is a mix of dark brown curls and flames. Her eyes sparkle deviously when she sees Percy. "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" The two dracaenae mutter in agreement. Suddenly she pounces on Rachel. It is so fast that I don't have a chance to swing my sword. The empousa holds her long, black claws against Rachel's neck. "Mortals are such fragile things, don't you think? Drop your swords or she's taking a one-way ticket to the Underworld!" She snarls.

Annabeth, Percy, and I set down our swords. One of the dracaenae gathers up our blades eagerly. The loud footsteps are right behind us. I turn around and see an eight-foot Laistrygonian giant behind us. He stares at me with his red eyes and his mouth drips with drool.

"Can I eat them?" He asks with a booming voice.

"No." The empousa snaps.

"Can I eat _her_?"

"No! You can't eat any of them!" The empousa snarls. "Your master would want them _alive_. They will be such a good form of entertainment. Now march, or you all die. Starting with the mortal girl."

Rachel whimpers silently but she doesn't struggle much against the monster.

The dracaenae behind me jabs me with the butt of the spear. I glare at it. "Watch it." I growl. The dracaenae smirks and jab me again because there isn't much that I can do about it without someone getting hurt. So, instead of attacking the monster like I really want to, I grit my teeth and walk forward.

The empousa licks her lips. "Hmm... I don't think I have had the pleasure of knowing you two ladies." She muses. Her eyes lock on Annabeth and I. "Let me guess, Daughter of Athena and Aphrodite?" She sniffs the air then stares at me. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. What's wrong with you?" I reply coldly.

"Percy Jackson killed my trainee, that's what's wrong. I'm still very bitter about that and I'm having a terribly hard time finding a replacement. It's causing me quite a bit of stress." She says with anger. She sends me a sickly sweet smile with her full row of teeth. Even for me it is terrifying. "Thank you for your concern."

At the end of the hallway there are a set of bronze doors about ten feet tall. In the middle was an engraving of two swords. The light reflects off the door so that it seems like it's glowing. I can hear the roar of a crowd from behind it. My hands clench in a fist, preparing to fight my way out of here. There has to be some way that we can escape without anyone getting hurt.

The dracaenae was practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh yesssssss, you will be very popular with our hossssssst. It will be a grand ssssssssshow indeed!"

The word show feels weird to me. I feel like this isn't a fun type of show where we can sit back and laugh. The cheers behind the doors remind me of the gladiator battles in the Coliseum that Athena told me about. Like anyone related to Ares, I like a good fight, but something about this makes me sick to my stomach.

"Who's your host?" Percy bravely asks.

The other dracaenae laughs but it instead sounds like a really long hiss. "You'll sssssseeeeee sssssssoon enough. You both will get along furiousssssly. You're brotherssssss, after all."

The giant picks Percy and Annabeth up by their shirts. They both cry out in protest. The dracaenae smirks at me. "Have fun." It pushes me to the door, but the empousa stomps her metal foot and it stops.

She glares at the dracaenae. "No! I want to see Percy in the arena first. What better way than to start it off with another Son of Poseidon. We can end with her, but I _will_ see the Son of Poseidon die first!" She almost squeals with delight. The giant puts Percy down and picks me up by the back of my shirt. Luckily the strong camp t-shirt holds. The empousa tightens her hold on Rachel. "Go on, Percy Jackson. Entertain us. We'll wait here with your friends so that you don't try anything."

Percy gives Rachel a lop-sided smile. "Sorry, I'll... I'll get you out of this."

The red-head nods slightly, cautious to keep the claws as far away from her neck as possible. "That would be nice. Please do that." She says with more confidence than I thought possible for someone with several sharp claws threatening to rip her throat out.

Percy turns around and reluctantly walks into the arena. My heart pounds. Hopefully this isn't the last time that I ever see him again. But if anyone can survive something dangerous, it's Percy. He flew out of a volcano and survived, whatever is about to happen next should be a piece of cake.

We follow him into the arena several moments after him. When I enter, it's like something out of a nightmare. It would've been very impressive if it wasn't for the skulls that line the railings around the arena which gave the arena a very creepy vibe. All the stands have rows upon rows of monsters. Some of them I can't name, which is odd considering I used to spend hours reading on the different type of monsters. In the center there are a centaur and a giant in a fight. The poor centaur looks so scared. Immediately I can tell that he has no chance against the large giant. I look away so I don't have to see the fight.

Hanging from the spectator stand there is a banner with the trident of Poseidon in the center. In the stands there is a man who looks like he is several years older than Percy. He has a long scar running down his face but it doesn't distract from his attractiveness. His blonde hair is dirty, which tells me that he must've been down her for a while. Next to him is a giant with red skin and weird blue markings. Something about him makes me shiver and very uncomfortable.

The centaur falls to the ground with a sickening crunch. I close my eyes but I can still hear his whimpers of pain. The crowd chants 'DEATH! DEATH!' over and over again. Several seconds later the centaur falls silent and the crowd is louder than ever. I open my eyes to see the giant holding up a hoof - a spoil of combat. The monsters in the stand are so excited that they are jumping on the benches in the stands. A gate opens and the giant exits the arena. But even when the winner is gone, the spectators still cheer wildly.

The giant with the blue markings raises his hand. Everyone falls silent. "Good entertainment! But I've seen better." He adds bitterly. "What else do you have Luke, Son of Hermes?"

My mouth falls open in shock. _That _is Luke? Now that I know, I can see the resemblance between the young man and the god, Hermes. He looks much less evil than I imagined him. I expected someone who looked angrier and more beaten up. But when I get a better look at him, I see the bitterness in his eyes and the sharp clench of his jaw at the mention of the god.

Luke smoothly rises to his feet. "You have been a very excellent host, Lord Antaeus. We would be happy to entertain you in return for letting us safely pass through your territory." He says loudly enough for the spectators to hear.

Antaeus slams his fist on the stands. "A favor that I have not yet granted, demigod! I want entertainment, and entertainment I shall get!"

He bows and keeps a calm face despite the giant's outburst. "I believe that I have something much more entertaining than a few centaurs. I have a brother of yours. Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon." He gestures towards Percy with one hand.

The crowd roars in distaste. They throw stones at Percy, but luckily for him monsters are bad at throwing so each one misses. It also helps that he has great reflexes, so Percy dodges the few that get close to him.

Antaeus's eyes light up dramatically. A cruel grin climbs on his face. "A Son of Poseidon, hmm. Then he shall fight well! Or die well! Either way, we will be entertained!" The crowd screams with delight. Antaeus soaks up their anticipation like a sponge soaks up water. He feeds off of their enjoyment.

"If his death pleases you," Luke says smoothly, "will you let us pass through your territory?"

The giant shrugs. "Perhaps."

Luke looks very displeased with the noncommittal perhaps, but he stays silent.

Annabeth tugs herself forward, despite being held by a guard. "Luke! Stop this now and let us go!"

The Son of Hermes looks down at her in shock. As I look at Luke, I feel a small glimmer of warmth in my stomach, but I recognize it as someone else's feelings. Annabeth still likes him and maybe... just maybe he likes her too. "Annabeth?" He gasps.

"There is plenty of time for the females to fight afterwards." Antaeus interrupts. He looks at Percy with anticipation. "Percy Jackson, what weapon do you choose?"

The dracaenae pushes Percy into the middle of the arena. He looks around himself with disgust. His green eyes stare at the skulls surrounding the arena. "How in Zeus's name can you be Poseidon's son?" He exclaims.

"I'm his favorite son!" Antaeus growls. "This is my temple to the earthshaker! I've built it from the skulls of all that I killed in his name! You skull will soon join them. Be honored that your death will be used to worship the great god Poseidon!"

Annabeth and I share a look of horror. Something clicks in both of our heads as we remember the many Greek mythologies that we are familiar with. Annabeth tries to pull forward but the giant has a strong hold on her. "Percy! His mother is Gaea-" The giant covers her mouth with a large, dirty hand.

"Gaea is the earth goddess! She-" I'm interrupted by the giant's other hand covering my mouth. As an instinct I bit into his palm. The only thing I succeed in doing is gagging on the disgusting taste. It tastes like mud and sweat. Both Annabeth and I hope that our message got across to Percy of who his godly parents are. And if he didn't get it, we hope that he quickly figures it out because we won't leave here alive unless Antaeus is dead. That I am very sure of.

Percy shakes his head at the giant. "You're crazy if you think that this is a good tribute. Poseidon doesn't want this."

Apparently the crowd didn't like what he said because they hiss insults his way that are so vile that I feel dirty just listening to them.

Antaeus holds up his hand for silence. He glares at Percy. "Your insults towards my temple only make me more eager for your death, Percy Jackson. Now, weapons. What would you like? Nets? Flame throwers? Axes?" He gestures towards a table with the weapons sitting there. The Ares part of me is excited and I really want to try out at least one of the cool looking blades. I really hope Percy picks the flame thrower. How cool would it be to take down a bunch of monsters with nothing but flames?

"Just my sword." Percy answers. A small sliver of me is disappointed that he didn't choose the flamethrower. It would've been cool... but at least he made a smart decision to stick to a weapon we is familiar with.

The crowd erupts into laughter at his choice. His sword appears in his hand and Percy looks confident.

"Round one!" Antaeus announces.

A gate opens and a dracaenae slithers out. Its moves are slow and Percy is able to dodge them easily. He is prepared when it throw its net at him. Dodging a net is one of the first things campers learn in Camp Halfblood. Percy slices his sword through the monster. It cries out then disappears into the air. The dracaenae is no more.

The crowd falls silent and Antaeus's face is shriveled up in anger. "No!" He bellows. He shakes his fists wildly in the air. "Too fast! You must wait for my order before the kill!"

Luke smirks at the Son of Poseidon. "You're better with a sword than the last time I saw you, I'll give you that."

"Round two! This time, wait for my order, OR ELSE!" The giant yells.

The gate opens but this time a boy about Percy's age walks out. His hair is pure black, like the night sky. The boy's mouth seems to be forever stuck in a frown and there is a black eye patch over one of his eyes. The Greek armor hangs so loosely around him that it looks like he hasn't eaten in days. Percy and the boy talk for several moments before a monster yells at them to continue that fight. That's when he charges Percy. The boy was relentless but I can see Percy's hesitation. I understand why he doesn't want to fight the boy. He's most likely a halfblood like him. It just doesn't seem right. But if I were in Percy's place, I would've given my all during the fight and not hold back like Percy is.

After five minutes of fighting, the crowd was restless. Neither Percy nor the mystery boy has shed any blood and Antaeus is not amused. The crowd throws rocks and leftover food into the arena. Suddenly, the sword flies out of the boy's hand. Percy instantly has his sword to his chest.

Percy looks up at Antaeus. The giant ponders to himself for several moments, and then puts his thumb down. Next, Percy does something that could very well get him killed. He sheaths his sword. The Son of Poseidon offers the boy his hand. He reluctantly takes it and Percy helps him to his feet.

"No one dishonors the games! No one!" Antaeus bellows. His voice shakes the arena like an earthquake. "Both of your heads will be used as tributes to Poseidon. And I can promise you that death will not be quick!"

Percy mumbles something to the boy then steps towards the giant in the stands. "Why don't you fight me yourself? If you have dad's favor, then come down and prove it!"

"Percy, don't!" I yell but he doesn't seem to hear me. And if he does, then he ignores me. Percy is so incredibly stupid. So, so, so stupid. And based on Annabeth's violent head shakes, she thinks so too. He is going to get himself killed. He is going to get all of us killed, and I really don't want to die again.

The monsters in the stands whisper to each other. Antaeus looks around and realizes that he has no choice but to accept the challenge, otherwise he will look weak in front of all the monsters in the crowd.

"I am the greatest wrestler in the world." He warns. Antaeus pauses dramatically. "I have been wrestling since the first _pankration_!"

"He's going to get himself killed, isn't he?" Rachel says quietly.

Annabeth and I nod our heads while the empousa shivers with delight. She must really want to see Percy dead.

Percy points his sword towards the giant. "Winner takes all! I win, we all go free. You win, we die. Swear on the River Styx." At least he's smart enough to make Antaeus swear on it. Maybe there's hope for us living after all.

The giant laughs. "I swear to your terms! This shouldn't take too long, and it will be very entertaining to tear you limb from limb!"

The giant plops down into the arena. The boy rushes out of the way while Percy holds his ground. Antaeus cracks his knuckles. "Weapons?"

Percy gestures to his sword. "I'll stick to the one I have. You?"

The giant laughs again, along with the spectators. "I don't need any weapon! Master Luke, you will referee this one."

Luke smirks from his seat. "Gladly."

Antaeus charges Percy, but he dodges and slices his leg. The giant cries out in pain, but in a matter of seconds the wound heals from the dirt of the arena. It quickly becomes clear to Percy that killing Antaeus is going to be much harder than we originally thought, and we all thought that it was going to be very difficult. He charges again and Percy dodges, but gets his sword stuck in Antaeus's ribs this time. He is weaponless in a fight to the death.

"Now you see why I never lose, foolish demigod!" Antaeus jests. "Come here and let me crush you! It will be a death with honor, I can assure you that."

Percy looks at us desperately. I can see the gears grinding behind his head. Then it dawns on him what he needs to do. To defeat the son of the earth, he needed to take the earth out of the equation. My confidence in Percy nearly doubles when I realize that he knows what to do, not that I didn't believe that he would win before the fight.

Percy charges towards Antaeus. He pretends to go under his legs, but at the last second he uses the giant to grab one of the chains. Antaeus roars in agitation.

"Come down here and fight, you coward!" He growls.

Percy holds on to the chain tightly. I can't see what he's doing, but I hope it's something more than hanging out of the giant's reach.

"Why don't you come up and get me? Or are you too slow and fat?" Percy taunts.

Antaeus grits his teeth and grabs a low hanging chain. He climbs slowly to reach Percy on a higher chain. Then, Percy hooks a chain on Antaeus's loin cloth. He slips and the giant falls so that he is hanging several feet from the ground. He flings his arms and legs but he can't free himself.

"Get me down and fight properly!" Antaeus shrieks.

Luke stands up. "Cut him down! He is our host!" He commands, like Percy would actually listen to him.

Percy uncaps his pen to have it become a sword. "I'll free him." He stabs his sword in the giant's stomach. This time, the earth doesn't heal Antaeus. He is forever silent.

"Jackson!" Luke growls. "I should've killed you a long time ago when I had the chance."

"You did try." Percy reminds him sarcastically. "Now, let us go. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I am the winner."

Luke scowls. "Antaeus is dead and the oath dies with him." He shrugs. "But since I'm feeling rather merciful today, I will make your death fast." He points towards Annabeth. "Spare the girl! I would like to speak to her before our great triumph."

The monsters in the stands pull out their weapons and ready the claws. Each one is ready to attack Percy. There is no way that he can fight each one.

The giant loosens its hold on me. I take the opportunity to squeeze out of its grip and grab my sword from a dracaenae. Percy blows into something that looks like a dog whistle and it bursts in his hands. Luke says something to Percy, but I don't hear what it is because I'm too busy dodging the dracaenae's attack.

I hear a loud bark then the giant that was guarding Annabeth flies towards the wall. The dracaenae is distracted and I take the opportunity to stab it. Annabeth grabs her dagger and we prepare to fight the empousa for Rachel.

She giggles and holds her claws up to Rachel's neck. "Did you really think it would be-" The empousa shrieks when Mrs. O'Leary flings her to the wall like the giant was just moments ago.

Annabeth and I grab the shaken-up Rachel. Together we run towards Percy.

"Let's go!" Percy yells. He, the boy Percy fought, Rachel, Annabeth, and I rush out of the arena as fast as we can. All we can hope is that the chaos was too much and the monsters can't follow us into the maze.


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you for reading my story! I love each one of you! xoxoxo Disclaimer: I only own my own characters. Unfortunately I don't own the Percy Jackson series.**

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**Luna Midi: Haha well here it is!**

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**Guest: Yeah, they do smell it but they don't know for sure what they're smelling like the monsters. They know that something isn't quite right because she does smell different than the demigods.**

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><p>Rachel immediately takes the lead. "This way!" She yells and sharply turns left. We easily keep up with her as we spring after her.<p>

Annabeth scowls at the red-head. She looks frustrated but doesn't stop running. "Why should we follow you? You led us straight into a death trap! Who knows where you will lead us next?"

"Annabeth." I say as calmly as possible. "I don't think we should argue with the girl."

"Were you asleep for the last half hour? We all could've been killed because of her!" Annabeth retorts.

Rachel doesn't look back. She is too concentrated in leading us away from the army of monsters. "I'm sorry, but that was the way we needed to go. Come on!" Rachel yells.

Annabeth hesitantly closes her mouth. Honestly, I understand where she's coming from. I don't exactly trust Rachel considering that I just met her today, but she seems to know where she's going. She doesn't hesitate at crossroads and is running so fast that I'm afraid she's going to run straight into a wall. "Duck!" She shrieks. I drop low enough to see an ax fly right where my head used to be.

Percy, Annabeth, the new guy, and I all share a terrified look before chasing after Rachel. We turn several more times until we stop in a gymnasium. It is huge with large pillars holding up the roof. Not only that, but it looks like it hasn't been used for years considering how much dust there is. Percy listens for any movement, and tells us that he hears nothing. We're safe for now. Hopefully we lost the monsters.

"Who are you?" I ask the boy. My hand trails the handle of my blade.

He stares at me with his one eye. An eye patch covers his other eye. "Ethan. You?"

"Rina." I answer.

Ethan leans against the wall. He tears off his helmet and tosses it to the ground. His face is lined with sweat and so is everyone else's. Except for me, of course. He points at us. "No offense, but you are all insane!" He gasps out.

Annabeth's eyes grow wide. "I remember you! You were one of the undetermined in the Hermes cabin several years ago. Your name is Ethan."

Ethan glares at her. "Yeah, and I remember you. You're Annabeth. I'll never forget that you tried to kill me in Capture the Flag."

"I wouldn't have killed you. Just a little maiming." Annabeth mumbles.

Percy plops down on the ground. He wipes the sweat off his face with the edge of his shirt. "You must be the demigod from my dream, then. It wasn't Nico after all."

"Thank the gods." I say.

Ethan's eyebrows come together in confusion. "Who is Nico?"

Annabeth shakes her head. "Just forget it. Why are you trying to join on the wrong side?" She asks suddenly.

Ethan scoffs at her. His face contorts with anger. It reminds me of the same bitter look Luke had back in the arena. "There's no right side. The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn't I? They did nothing to help me!"

"Signing up for an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment? Wow, sounds like a good deal." I say sarcastically.

"Shut up." Ethan snaps.

"They aren't good people, you know that right?" I ask harshly.

He struggles to stand up. When he does, he grabs his helmet and roughly places it back on his head. "The gods aren't good people either!" He growls. "You know what? I'm not going to stay here and argue with you. I'm out of here."

"We're going after Daedalus." Percy says suddenly. I motion for him to stop but he continues to talk. "Come with us. When we get back you will be welcomed back at camp."

Ethan shakes his head slowly, as if he pities us. "You really are insane if you think that Daedalus will help any of you."

"He has to. We will make him listen to us." Annabeth says confidently.

Ethan snorts at her. "Good luck with that. I wish ya the best."

He turns to leave but Percy grabs his arm. Ethan tenses like he's ready to fight Percy but he doesn't make a move to do so. "You can't just head out in the maze!" Percy exclaims. "That's suicide. You're safer with us."

Ethan's mouth forms a tight frown. "You shouldn't have spared me, Percy Jackson. Mercy has no place in this war." Ethan hisses. He yanks his arm away from the Son of Poseidon and heads into the darkness of the maze, but something tells me that we'll see him again.

"Now what?" Rachel asks quietly.

"I don't know if I can go any further." Percy says.

Annabeth nods in agreement. "We're all too tired. Let's just make camp here. We're far from the arena and this room is safe enough."

Nobody disagrees with her. We quickly set up camp. In no time, we have a fire lit and our sleeping bags out. I find several pillows in my never-ending purse and hand them out. Rachel hugs it like it's her lifeline. Her red hair is more frizzled and she keeps looking around the room cautiously. I guess it makes sense for her to be paranoid after everything that she has seen. I would be too if I were her.

"Hey, you okay?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you are a mortal and you just saw hundreds of monsters all focused on killing us. You're probably freaking out at least a little bit." I say.

Rachel laughs, but it sounds fake. "Try a lot. That was terrifying."

"If it makes you feel better, it freaked us out too." I place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes grow huge. "Actually, that makes me feel worse considering you're the ones supposed to protect me."

Annabeth jabs at the fire with her knife. Her eyes never leave the flames. "Something was wrong with Luke. Did you notice the way he was acting? It was really weird."

"He looked pretty pleased to me, like he spent a nice day torturing heroes." Percy answers. He also jabs the fire with his sword.

Annabeth sets down her knife violently. "That's not true at all!" She exclaims. "There was something seriously wrong with him."

"Well, yeah."

Annabeth glares at him. "Just stop! He looked... nervous. He told the monsters to spare. Luke must've wanted to tell me something."

Percy recaps his sword and puts it back in his pocket. "Yeah! Probably, '_hey Annabeth! Sit here with me and watch me tear your friends apart limb from limb! It will be a lot of fun!'_"

"You're impossible." Annabeth grumbles.

"Percy's right, though. He would've killed us." I tell her.

She frowns. "He wouldn't."

"He would've." I insist. "Luke doesn't care about me, Percy, or Rachel. He wouldn't have hesitated to kill us."

She narrows her eyes dangerously. "No, he wouldn't have! Luke isn't like that." Annabeth sheaths her knife with jerky movements. Her voice sounds like she's fighting to hold back tears. She turns towards Rachel. "Which way from here, Sacagawea?" She snaps harsher than needed.

There's a long pause. "We follow the brightness in the floor." Rachel says finally. She drags her finger in the dirt, drawing pictures of the monsters that we saw.

"The brightness that led us straight into a path? That doesn't seem like a very good-"

"Just lay off her, Annabeth." Percy interrupts. "Rachel's doing the best that she can."

Annabeth abruptly stands up. "The fire is getting low. I'll look for more scraps." She stomps off into the darkness.

I stand up. "I'll help her." I march into the darkness in the direction that Annabeth went. On the other side of the room I see her gathering up small twigs. She looks very frustrated. "Hey, Annabeth."

She looks up. "Go back by the fire, Rina. It's warmer there."

"I want to help." I take the scraps from her arms and set it on the ground. She gives me a questioning look. "What's your problem?" I ask suddenly.

Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

I jab a finger her way. "Don't act like you don't know. I understand that you're _jealous_, but that doesn't give you the right to act like a jerk."

"I'm not jealous! How can I possible be jealous of a mortal?" She snaps. Annabeth reaches for the scraps but I block her.

I cross my arms. "Fine! If you're not jealous, then tell me what do you have against Rachel?"

The Daughter of Athena glares at me but I don't back down. She holds up two fingers. "For one, I don't trust her! She led us to a trap! Second, Percy is way too close to her. She's going to get us killed. I don't like it at all."

"That sounds like jealousy to me." I mutter.

"It's not!" She growls. Annabeth grabs the scraps and stomps back towards the fire. I follow close behind. She drops the scraps on the fire and the flames grow higher. It's almost like we're sitting in the Big House in front of the fireplace. "I'll take first watch. You guys can get some rest."

Percy lies down and falls asleep almost immediately. I crawl into my sleeping bag next to Rachel and Annabeth. "Wake me up in a couple of hours so that I can take next watch." I tell her. Annabeth nods. Then I slowly drift off to sleep with dreams full of nightmares.

* * *

><p>I wake up to the earth shaking. My eyes open immediately to see the room vibrating. Small pieces of the building fall off the wall and the ceiling. Annabeth and Rachel are already up. They have our stuff packed. Suddenly, I realize that Percy isn't awake.<p>

I jump to his side and shake him wildly. "Percy! You have to wake up!"

He jolts awake with a start. "Tyson and Grover... they're in trouble. We have to help them!" He yells.

I pull him up so he's on his feet. "Later! There's an earthquake!" I shout over the rumbling. It's amazing that the sounds didn't wake him up. His green eyes widen in surprise. He gathers his stuff in a matter of seconds.

"Let's go!" Annabeth yells.

We don't waste any time to run out of the room. Behind us the roof collapses in a cloud of dust. It sends us all into a coughing fit. My lungs feel like they're on fire.

"Which way, Rachel?" I shriek over the falling rocks.

Rachel points towards a bend in the tunnel. "That way!" She guides us down an even darker hallway but stops at a door with a nice scene of a Greek village with people smiling. I recognize it instantly. The horrors come rushing back at me so quickly that all I want to do is to go into a corner and cry. My mouth goes dry. She reaches for the handle but I push her out of the way. "Rina! What are you doing?" She exclaims. Rachel dusts herself off. Percy helps her back on her feet.

I back my body against the door so none of them can get through without me stopping them first. "There has to be another way. We can't go through here." I say calmly but I'm feeling anything but. My hands clam up and my heart beats like I'm running a marathon.

Rachel points towards the floor. "The brightness goes through here. There isn't any other way. Plus, it's just a _door_. A really pretty one too."

Annabeth takes a step forwards and I tense. "What's wrong? You look like you're going into shock." She places a hand on my forehead.

I can almost hear Janus laughing his stupid heads off. '_Beware, Aikarina. I will make a door appear that you never want to see again. Then you'll be begging for me to help you._' His words ring in my mind so clearly that it's like he's whispering them into my ear. Stupid, stupid Janus. He did this on purpose, and if I ever see his smug faces ever again then I'll make him pay.

"Please, Rachel." I beg. "We can't go this way. We just can't. Find another way!"

Rachel looks around us. "There's no other way, Rina. We have to go through there."

I sigh. "Screw you, Janus." I close my eyes tightly. "Please, _please_ get rid of this door. If you do that, then you can pay off your debt to me. Just _please_ get rid of it." I open my eyes when I hear Percy, Annabeth, and Rachel gasp. I look behind me to see that the door disappeared into just a regular wall. Next to me is an archway into a hallway with artificial lights. Rachel cautiously leads the way through the hallway.

"Is this the right way?" Percy asks her.

She nods. "The brightness does lead us through here." Rachel looks at me. "How did you do that? The archway just appeared out of the wall."

"I called in an old favor." I grit my teeth.

Soon the hallway changes to stainless steel. It looks like something from a sci-fi movie. The floor is a metal grate and the ceiling is fluorescent lights. It's a sudden change from the darkness of the maze. There's no need for Apollo's flashlight, so I slip it into my purse. In the background there is a small hum of what sounds like a generator or something. It feels like we walked into a spaceship.

Annabeth runs her hand on the metal wall. "This is all wrong. The workshop should be in the oldest part of the maze. This shouldn't..." She pauses. Her grey eyes freeze in shock at a set of metal doors with Daedalus's symbol in the center.

"This is it. Daedalus's workshop." Rachel says.

Annabeth looks like she's in a daze. She reaches forward and touches the symbol. It glows a faint blue. The doors hiss open for us. We slowly walk inside. I let out a content sigh when I see sunlight coming in through the giant windows in the front of the room. I rush over and look out the window. There is a large valley with boulders randomly placed in it. It's gorgeous. I have no idea where this is, but it's nice to see something other than the maze. The next thing I notice are the inventions littering the room. Shelves are lined with Greek fire, laptops, blueprints, and electrical wires.

"_Di Immortals_." Annabeth breathes out. "Daedalus is a genius! Rina, do you see the curves on these buildings!" She holds up a blueprint for a building. To me it looks like a complicated sketch, but to Annabeth it looks like something more. Somehow she can make sense of the numbers and lines.

"And an artist!" Rachel adds. She runs up to a set of wings. "Look at these!"

I glance around the room. Nobody is home but he will be soon. There is a half-eaten muffin on a desk and several laptops running with advanced programs that make no sense to me. Percy put his hand on his pen that turns into a sword. He has the right idea. Hopefully Daedalus will be friendly, but there is always a chance that he will prefer to kill us than help us.

"Where are we?" Percy wonders aloud.

"Colorado Springs. The Garden of the Gods" A voice says.

I turn around to see Quintus at the spiral staircase with his sword drawn. Without thinking about it, I take out my knife and grow it to the size of a full sword.

"You!" Annabeth yells accusingly. "What have you done to Daedalus?"

Quintus grimaces. "Trust me, my dear, none of you want to meet him."

Something cracks in Annabeth. We all see it. She takes out her knife and jabs it in his direction. It is incredibly terrifying and I almost feel sorry for Quintus for angering her. The man backs up slightly. "Listen, traitor! I didn't fight a stupid dragon-woman, a three-bodied man, and a psychotic sphinx to meet you! I'll only ask this one more time. WHERE IS DAEDALUS?" She growls.

Quintus steps off of the stairs. Annabeth looks like she is ready to lunge. And given how good of a sword fighter Quintus is, I might just have to stop her so she doesn't kill herself. "You think that I'm an agent for Kronos and that I work for Luke. Am I right?"

"Well... duh!" Annabeth sneers.

He nods in appreciation. "You're a very smart girl, but you're wrong. I work for no one but myself."

I groan with irritation of how he is just avoiding our questions. "Just tells us where Daedalus is!"

Quintus raises an eyebrow at me. "All in good time."

Now I'm beginning to feel like Annabeth. I'm sure that Quintus won't be able to take both of us at the same time. And with Percy's help, we're sure to beat him. Maybe Rachel can join in and hit him with something.

"Luke mentioned you." Percy says. "Geryon knew about you too. You've been to his ranch. It really looks like you're working for Kronos."

"Of course I've been to his ranch." Quintus says, avoiding Percy's last comment. "I've been everywhere." He walks past us and to the window like we're no threat at all. He even turns his back on us. I'm very tempted to just stab him now. It would be too easy. "The view changes from day to day. It keeps everything fresh when it does that. Yesterday it overlooked Manhattan. The day before was Lake Michigan. Yet, it always keeps returning to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here."

"You talk about it like it's alive." Rachel murmurs.

Quintus looks at her with calculating eyes. "It is."

"Have you been here before?" Percy asks.

Quintus nods. His eyes shine at the landscape out the window. "Oh yes."

"Is that an illusion or a projection or something?" Percy gestures towards the window.

Rachel shakes her head. "No, that's really Colorado out there."

Quintus looks at Rachel again, this time with more interest than before. "You have a keen pair of eyes. You remind me of another mortal girl I knew. She could see like you could."

"Enough with the games!" Annabeth cries out. "Where is Daedalus?"

"Hmm..." Quintus mutters. "It seems that you need lessons for seeing things clearly, my dear. _I am_ Daedalus."

I cross my arms and look at the man with disbelief. Annabeth seems to believe him because her eyes grow wide like she is meeting her role model in person. It's odd how she doesn't trust Rachel but believes Quintus. I don't trust him one bit. There could be a million reason for him to lie to us. Something about Quintus is off and gives me a weird feeling. I don't like it and I don't like him.

"But you're not an inventor. You're a swordsman." Percy blurts out.

"I am many things." He answers. "I'm a swordsman, an inventor, an architect, even a scholar." Quintus smiles. "I even play basketball pretty well for someone who started when they were two thousand years old. A real artist must be good at many things."

"That's true." Rachel adds. "Like I can paint with my feet as well as my hands."

Quintus grins. "You see, a girl of man talents."

Percy's eyebrows come together in confusion. "But... you don't look anything like Daedalus. You look nothing like the guy in my dreams and..." Percy pauses. He takes a step back and his face is pure shock.

Quintus nods solemnly. "You've finally guessed the truth."

"Percy, what is it?" I ask

"You're... you're an automaton! You made yourself a new body! Oh my gods." Percy gasps out.

Annabeth shakes her head. She looks at Daedalus uneasily. "That's impossible. He... he can't be an automaton. He just can't."

Quintus lets out a dry chuckle. "My dear, do you know what Quintus means in Latin?"

"It means the fifth, but what does that have to do with anything?"

He gestures towards himself. "This is my fifth body." Quintus shows us his forearm. He presses his elbow and a hatch opens in his skin. There are glowing wires and bronze gears. My grip tightens on my sword.

"That's amazing!" Rachel exclaims. She stares at Quintus with wide eyes.

Percy wrinkles his nose. "That's weird."

"It's absolutely disgusting." I say.

Quintus looks at me sadly. "It is, but I did what I had to do to survive."

Annabeth shakes her head. "Nothing about this is natural. It's amazing that you found a way to transfer your _animus_ into a machine, but that isn't what nature intended to happen."

He shrugs like it's nothing. "I assure that it is very much me, despite how unnatural it is. Our mother, Athena, made sure that I would never forget that." Quintus pulls down the collar of his shirt to reveal a dark shape of a bird that looks like it is burned into his skin. I tense more than I already am, recognizing the mark immediately.

Annabeth backs up slightly. "That's a murderer's brand." She states. Her grey eyes stay on Quintus at all times.

"Was that for what you did to your nephew, Perdix?" Percy asks suddenly.

The man's face darkens immensely. "I regret what I did to the young boy. You have to understand that I was angry and bitter."

"But that doesn't excuse the fact that you murdered someone." I tell him.

He sighs. "Yes, I suppose it doesn't, and Athena made sure that I never forget that. As my nephew died, she turned him into a small bird and branded the shape on my neck so that not a day goes by that I'm not reminded of what I did. No matter what form I take, the brand follows me."

Percy stares at the man. "You really are Daedalus." He says finally. Daedalus nods. "But why did you come to our camp? Why would you spy on us?" Percy says with a frown.

Daedalus looks at us thoughtfully. "To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one side of the story, but I prefer to come to my own conclusions."

I narrow my eyes dangerously at the man. "So you have talked to Luke?"

He nods. "Oh yes. Several times, actually. He is very persuasive. I can tell that he is able to do big things if he puts his mind to it."

"You know what he plans to do! He will destroy our camp! You have seen it, so you must understand why we care for it so much!" Annabeth cries out. Her eyes silently plead with the man. "Please, you can't let Luke through the maze!"

Daedalus clasps his hands together thoughtfully. "You have to understand that the maze is no longer mine to control. It is tied to my life force but I have allowed it to grow on its own." His voice turns bitter. "That's the price that I pay for privacy."

Annabeth looks at Daedalus suspiciously. "Privacy from what?"

"The gods and death." He answers sorrowfully. Daedalus is so full of regrets that all my hatred of him wears away slightly. My tight hold loosens on my weapon.

"It must be difficult," I start "to keep death away for so long."

"It is." He says. "A clever man can hide for a long time, and I have buried myself so deep that not even Hades knows where I am. Even his attempts to find me stopped several hundreds of years ago. Only my greatest enemy still searches for me, and I have tricked him as well."

"You mean Minos?" Percy asks.

Daedalus nods. "He hunts for me relentlessly. It's an obsession of his. And since he is the judge of the dead, I'm sure there's nothing more he would like than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my many crimes. After his death, he began to torture me in my dreams. So, I escaped into the Labyrinth. I decided that it would be my greatest accomplishment. I would escape death."

Annabeth stares at the man with impressed eyes. It disturbs me that she can look so positively at the man, even after all the horrible things that he had done. "And you have!" She marvels. "For two thousand years. It's amazing that you have done it for so long."

A loud bark echoes through the corridors. I instinctively raise my sword in the direction of the loud noises. A big black shape fumbles through the hallway and towards Daedalus. My eyes focus and I see that it's Mrs. O'Leary. She licks his face, effectively drenching him with her spit, but Daedalus doesn't seem to mind. He affectionately scratches her behind her ears. "There you are! Mrs. O'Leary has been my only companion for these many years."

"You let her save me. The whistle actually worked." Percy says. He looks sort of stunned.

"What whistle?" I ask curiously.

"Quintus... errrr... I mean Daedalus gave me a whistle that could call on Mrs. O'Leary whenever I needed her." Percy explains. "She distracted the monsters in the arena. Without her, we would be dead."

I reach forward and scratch the hell-hound's belly. I nearly laugh when her hind legs shakes. "Thank you, Mrs. O'Leary."

Percy looks at Daedalus. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but why did you give me the whistle in the first place?"

Daedalus thinks over his next words thoughtfully. "You have a good heart, Percy. I have known many people in my lifetime, but few have as pure hearts as you. And I knew that Mrs. O'Leary liked you, so of course I wanted to help. Perhaps I just felt... guilty."

The suspicion of the man washes back over me. "Guilty about what?" I ask slowly.

"That your quest would be in vain."

"What?" Annabeth wonders. Her eyes grow wide. "But... you will help us, right? You have to! Just give us Ariadne's string so that Luke can't get it. Please, Daedalus."

He walks over to his workbench and fiddles with several things. A streak of anger flashes through me. He's stalling. Why is he stalling to answer to answer us?

"Yes... the string." He says slowly. "When he came to me, I told Luke that the eyes of mortal was the best way, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magical item, and the string fit that description. Of course, it's not nearly as accurate as your mortal friend, but good enough. Yes, it's good enough."

"Where is it?" Annabeth demands, desperation clear in her voice.

Daedalus twists a wire between his thumb and pointer finger. He sets it down slowly then turns towards us. "With Luke." He says sadly, and he looks truly sorry, but that doesn't make me want to punch him any less. "I'm so sorry but you're several hours too late."

I took an abrupt step towards him. The swordsman instinctively steps away and prepares to dodge an attack. I glare at him with a ferocity I didn't know I was capable of having. "People are going to die because of you!"

"I know." He answers.

"Why?" I throw my hands violently in the air. Anger boils in my veins. "What did Luke promise you? What?"

"He promised me my freedom." Daedalus answers reluctantly. "Once Hades is overthrown, I will be set over the Underworld. I will no longer have to run from death, and maybe I can make things right with my son and nephew."

"You're a coward." I snap, meaning every word. He doesn't bother to deny it.

"Rina's right!" Annabeth yells. "You're going to let Luke destroy our camp, our _home_, kill hundreds of demigods, and bring down the entire world just so you can get what you want?" She shakes her head in disappointment. "I admired you. I actually admired you for your intelligence, but you're nothing more than a selfish man."

He looks at us with sad eyes. "Please understand that you are fighting a lost cause. I saw that when I arrived at your camp. There is no way that you can hold back the might of Kronos."

"You don't know that!" I scream at him. My nails dig into my palm to keep myself from lashing out at him. Yes, I understand that it will be difficult for us to defeat Kronos, but we can do it. I _know_ we can. It is incredibly insulting for a man like Daedalus to tell me otherwise.

Daedalus looks at me with pity. "I do know that. Nothing is able to stop the titan."

Annabeth shakes her head wildly. "That's not true. You're wrong."

"It is. I'm simply doing as I must. The offer was too sweet to turn down." He says like it is nothing.

She pushes down an easel violently. Sketches and blueprints scatter the floor. Annabeth jabs a finger in his direction. "I cannot believe that I thought that you were a genius. I admired you! You're nothing more than a machine that should've died two thousand years ago." She sneers at him.

He hangs his head instead of snapping back at her. "You should warn your friends at your camp. Now that Luke has the string, he will go straight to Camp Halfblood."

Mrs. O'Leary's head jolts up and her ears twitch. Rachel's face drains of color. "Someone's coming!" She says urgently.

The doors open and Nico is abruptly pushed inside by a monster. There are large bags under his eyes and they're swollen from crying. There are scratches all over his body. His eyes find mine. It looks like the weight of the world is lifted off of his shoulders. "You're alive. You're really alive." He gasps out.

"Nico?" I ask. Several monsters come out from behind him and something tells me that we won't be able to leave Daedalus's workshop without a fight.


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry guys if this is slightly later than it usually is. I've just been so busy with school and never have any time to really sit down and write. I promise you guys that I will ALWAYS update, even if it takes a while. I will never just leave you hanging. Hope you like this update! Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit this as thoroughly as I usually do.  
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**Outlandish Dreamer: haha I know I left you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger Mwhahahaha! Well the wait is over. Here's the update! Thank you for reviewing as much as you do!**

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**Guest: I'm sorry about the cliff hanger (or am I?)! I'm glad that you're liking my story! I hope you continue to like it!**

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><p>Nico stares at me with wide eyes. He doesn't blink. It's as if he looks away for any second I will disappear. There doesn't seem to be any scratches or injuries which I'm thankful for. But something in him seems broken. Maybe it's the way that he's staring at me I just crawled out of the Underworld right in front of him.<p>

"Are you okay, Nico?" I ask, my eyes not leaving the monsters behind him. The giants glare at us but make no moves. The empousa doesn't seem to be too interested in killing us at the moment, which is a very good thing.

Before he can answer, Minos steps into the room. He stands in full form with mist swirling around the bottom of his cloak. His eyes seem deeper and full of more menace than the last time that I saw the ghost. Minos's eyes sweep across the room. He raises an eyebrow at me but doesn't say anything. The ghost stops completely when he sees Daedalus. His mouth forms a cruel smile that opens like a dark pit. It makes me shiver to look at.

Minos chuckles with venom. "There you are, my old friend. We meet again." He says slyly. I half expect him to let out a cliché evil-villain laugh.

The inventor's jaw clenches. He looks at the empousa that was at the arena. "What is the meaning of this?" He asks dangerously.

The empousa giggles. She places her hands on her hips. "Luke sends his compliments. He's very thoughtful. He thought that you might want to see your old employer. You know, to catch up. I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do."

He shakes his head. I briefly notice how his right hand moves towards his sword. "This wasn't part of the deal."

The empousa bites her lip in fake concentration. "No, no I suppose it wasn't." She says. Her mouth forms a terrible smirk, showing all of her teeth. "Here's the thing, we already have everything we need from you. Plus, we have other, _more important_ deals to make. Minos required something from us in return for this wonderful demigod." The monster runs a long finger under Nico's chin. He flinches away from her touch, but that only makes her laugh. "He'll be very useful to us, and all Minos wanted was your head!"

Daedalus pales considerably. "Treachery." He spits at her.

The empousa scoffs at him. "Get used to it, hun." She pretends to check her nails.

Percy glares at the empousa. "Where's Luke, _Kelli_? Why isn't he here? Is he afraid?" He growls out her name. Huh... Kelli. That will be handy. Now I can call her something more than that empousa.

Kelli bares her teeth. "Trust me, Luke is anything but afraid. He's just... busy at the moment. Too busy for stupid demigods like you. He's preparing the assault on your precious little camp. But don't worry, more friends are coming to joins us! In the meantime, I think that I'm going to have a little snack."

Rachel gestures towards the wings. She is absolutely terrified and she knows that if there's a fight, there isn't much that she can do. Rachel is a sitting duck. "The wings... do you think we'll be able to use them?" She hisses at us.

"Get them." I command quietly.

Percy nods. He gets into a defensive stance. "Go. We'll try to buy you some time."

Annabeth and Percy rush towards Kelli with their weapons drawn. I immediately run towards Nico who is still in chains.

Minos wails in aggravation. "Kill the inventor! Kill Daedalus!" On cue, the giants storm towards Daedalus but Mrs. O'Leary protects him. The hellhound throws the giant into the wall in front of me. Luckily it is more interested in killing Mrs. O'Leary than killing me. One smack and I'm dead... again. The impact from him knocks several bottles of Greek fire from the shelves, which I narrowly miss being hit with. Nico struggles with the chains but can't free himself.

Minos glares at me with an intensity that can only be compared to Ares's fiery gaze. "I thought that you were rotting in the Fields of Asphodel."

I carefully dodge the Greek fire burning through the metal floor. "Well, I'm not there anymore." I make another dash for Nico. Minos doesn't react fast enough so he can't stop me from cutting Nico free from his chains. Nico pounces to his feet as fast as he possibly can. The monsters were stupid enough to let him keep his sword which is still in its sheath.

The ghost's eyes grow wide momentarily only to be replaced with his typical bitter and beady eyes. He raises his transparent hands in the air. "To me, spirits of the dead!" He cries out. The air vibrates and dread climbs in my stomach. Something bad is coming. Nico feels it too, but he looks much more shaken by the feeling.

"No!" Nico yells. He draws his black sword. "Stop this, now!"

Minos sneers at the Son of Hades. "You do not control me. You never have! All this time I have controlled you and it was incredibly easy. Prepare to go to the Underworld and your friends will quickly follow!"

The air is full of power. It becomes thick and hard to breath. Suddenly five shimmering forms appear next to Minos. They become clearer to be five Cretan warriors prepared for battle. Each one of them have their eyes locked on Nico and me.

We take a step back to put more distance between us and the beings. There is no way that we can take on five opponents by ourselves, especially if there is no way to kill them. The Cretan soldiers creep towards us. I notice the little things like how they're floating instead of walking and how they're walking in tight formation. Hopefully all I have to do is break up their small formation and they will be helpless. Hopefully. Athena's lessons are finally going to be handy.

Nico says something else to Minos but I'm more concerned with the Cretan soldiers. I lunge forward, only for my sword to clang against the soldier's. It's weird that a ghost is able to fight me like this, but I don't stop to think about it. Another soldier swipes at me but I step out of their range. Once again I bring my sword at the nearest soldier for them to block me. It repeats over and over like a dance. They block and I dodge. No matter how hard I try, they always match me with the same power. Plus, it doesn't help that there's five of them.

One soldier tries to get behind me but I swipe my sword through its leg. The ghost cries out in pain but doesn't crumble like I hoped it would. Instead it continues to fight like nothing happened. My sword smacks against their shields. One of them nearly cuts my head off, but I duck just in time.

Out of the corner of my eyes Nico jabs his sword into the floor, creating a long black crevice. Whispers of the dead fills the air. It sounds like there's a television on in the room next to us. It's loud enough that we know that something's being said but it's not clear enough to understand.

"NO!" Minos screams. The crevice sucks him into like a vacuum with his soldiers closely following.

Rachel rushes towards me, narrowly missing being killed by a giant's club. She gasps and hangs onto my arm for dear life. The poor girl tugs on my shirt desperately. "Come on! We have to get the wings on!" She nearly screams. Her eyes are wide and terrified, but she's holding up surprisingly well. At least she's not bawling or in shock. Rachel, Nico, and I run back to the corner she came from. With expert precision, Rachel attaches the wings to Nico and me. We attach her wings in a matter of seconds.

Percy gestures towards Daedalus who is still fighting the giants. "We have to help him!"

Rachel shakes her head, ruffling the feathers of the wings. "There's no time. We have to go _now_!" Percy reluctantly runs over and has the wings attached to his back. Then, Rachel and I help Annabeth.

Rachel pushes open the large window. The fresh air is relieving and it feels like I'm already floating on the small draft coming into the room. But when I turn around, it isn't as nice. The room is burning with Greek fire. Gadgets and paper are scattered around the room and only feed the fire more energy.

"Daedalus, come on! We're leaving now!" Percy yells as a last attempt to have the inventor join us.

He jabs his sword into the giant. His body is torn up but he's bleeding gold oil instead of blood. Daedalus looks like he desperately wants to fly away with us, but something holds him back. "I won't leave Mrs. O'Leary!" I glance towards the hellhound who bites viciously into a giant's arm. "Go! All of you, go!"

We stand in front of the open window. The wind ruffles the metallic feathers on our backs.

"Does anyone know how to fly?" I ask fearfully.

"Nope." Percy answers without hesitation. "But now's a great time to find out."

"Oh gods, please don't let us die." I mutter before we jump out the window.

One second I'm standing before the window and the next I'm in a free fall toward the very hard-looking ground. Despite knowing that if I die there's a good chance that I will come back, I really don't want to recover from a huge fall again. As ashamed as I am to say it, I'm screaming like a little girl and I'm absolutely scared. My heart feels like it's beating out of my chest and my body freezes up in terror. Somehow this feels much scarier than the time that I was shot out of a volcano.

"Spread your arms and keep them extended!" Annabeth somehow yells over my screams.

An exceptionally loud shriek of surprise leaves my mouth when I extend my arm and immediately shoot straight up towards the sky. The screams quickly turn to laughter, maybe slightly hysterical, as I glide across the land. I glance over at Nico who is staring at me with an amused expression on his face. I stick my tongue out at him and continue to glide.

Percy swoops in front of me with a gleeful expression on his face. He flaps his metallic wings and he flies higher in the air. "This is aweeeesssooooommmmeeeeee!" He yells as he zigzags across the sky.

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "We need to land! These wings won't last forever."

We land on the terrace of a tourist center, but not before freaking out several climbers and seeing who could fly the fastest. I take the wings off of my back as delicately as I possibly can, but it's impossible to not tear the metallic feathers. We gather each bronze feather and stuff it in a nearby trash can to hide any evidence of us being here.

I look in the direction that Daedalus's workshop used to be. There is no sign of it. No smoke, no laboratory. Nothing. It's just the side of the mountain.

"Where is it?" I wonder aloud.

Annabeth frowns. "It must've moved again." She guesses.

Percy leans against the wall and wipes the sweat off his forehead. "What do we do now?"

Annabeth pauses. She looks like a deflated balloon. It must've been hard to find out that her idol was such a self-centered jerk. "We... go back into the maze."

"How?" Percy presses gently.

"What if we can't?" Rachel murmurs.

Annabeth only seems to sink further into her despair, but she does a very good job at hiding it. It's her eyes that give her away. They now longer have their fierce shine to them. She's discouraged. "You're right, maybe we can't get back in the maze after all. He said that his life force was tied to the Labyrinth, so if Daedalus died then the Labyrinth is gone. That means no invasion." Her lips curl into a dry smile. "I never thought there would be a day when I would wish that someone as brilliant as him was dead."

I'm just about to agree when I remember that Grover and Tyson are... or were down in the maze. If Daedalus did die, hopefully the two got out before the Labyrinth was destroyed.

"No." Nico says, breaking the silence like a knife. "He isn't dead."

"How can you be sure?" Percy questions.

Nico shrugs like it's nothing. "I just _know_ when people died. I can't properly describe it, but it's like a buzzing in my ear." I feel his eyes digging into the side of my head, but I can't bring myself to look at him.

Percy perks up. "What about Grover or Tyson? Did you get any... buzzing about them?"

Nico shakes his head. "They're harder. I can't tell for sure because they don't have mortal souls. But my guess is that they're fine."

There is a long period of silence, most likely spent wondering about Grover and Tyson on Annabeth and Percy's part.

"We have to get into a town." Annabeth decides suddenly. "Finding an entrance to the Labyrinth will be much easier. We have to make it back to camp before Luke."

Rachel pulls out bronze feather that went unnoticed in her red, curly hair. "We can take a plane." She offers. "Did you guys bring any money?"

Percy pales then turns a light shade of green at the thought. "No. No flying. I _cannot_ fly." He insists.

She raises an eyebrow. "But we just flew, like several minutes ago." Rachel deadpans.

"That was low flying." Percy defends. "And even that was pretty risky. I doubt that I'll be able to get away with that again. The air is Zeus's territory, and he doesn't appreciate me being there. Besides, there isn't enough time for a flight. We need to stop Luke and the Labyrinth is the quickest way."

Annabeth nods. "We need a car to the city."

I look around the parking lot, eyeing a woman juggling her keys. I point towards her. "I could steal her keys. It would be too easy." I hold up my knife. "I wonder what the mist will make her see."

Rachel sighs. "We can't risk having the police coming after us, so I'll take care of it." She grimaces.

Annabeth looks at her oddly. Not suspiciously. No, we have been through so much with Rachel in the last few hours that it would make no sense _not_ to trust her. Not trusting her would just make so many more problems for us, and Annabeth is smart enough to know that we definitely do not need more problems. When I really look at Annabeth, it looks the face she has when she's solving a crossword puzzle. "How?" The Daughter of Athena asks. Her purses her lips in concentration, trying to figure out who Rachel really is.

"Just trust me."

Annabeth nods slowly. "Okay. You take care of that and I will buy a prism in the gift shop to Iris message Chiron."

Nico puts his hands in his aviator jacket. "I'll go with you. I'm hungry."

I gesture towards the two. "I'll go with them too. I need to walk around."

Percy nods. "I'll stick with Rachel. We'll meet you in the parking lot."

Annabeth, Nico, and I walk into the gift shop. The bell rings above the door and the cashier looks at us lazily before returning to their magazine. Annabeth goes down an aisle, as if sensing that Nico and I need to talk alone. We head down an aisle with stacks of magazines and newspapers.

"What happened after you went back into the Labyrinth?" Nico asks finally. He looks off distantly and his eyes glaze over.

I shift awkwardly and pretend to be interested in a magazine about hunting and fishing. "I-" I start but Nico interrupts me.

"Because whatever happened, it must've been bad." He looks at me with wide eyes. "I felt you die." He croaks. "_I felt you die_."

"Nico..." I grab his hand to comfort him in any way. He holds on to me desperately.

His face screws up in pain. "Do you know how many times I tried to call your ghost? I kept trying and trying but you would never show. Not once. I thought... I thought that you were refusing to see me like Bianca." He rants. I am vaguely aware of his grip tightening on my hand. "A-And Minos said that you went to the Fields of Asphodel and that he judged you himself. But he was lying, right?"

I shake my head slowly. "No, I really did die." I confess quietly.

His brown eyes widen with surprise. "But, then how are you here!"

"Honestly, I'm not really sure. I can heal myself so I don't stay dead for long."

He falls silent for several moments. Something in me breaks. He hates me now. He has to hate me now. But then his lips form a small smirk. "My father must really hate you, then." Nico says. I snort, but quickly cover my mouth in surprise at the sound my body makes. Nico doesn't bother to hold back his laugh, and soon I'm laughing with him.

We move down to another aisle with liters of pop.

"How?" Nico asks. "How did you die?"

"I got shot out of a volcano." I answer simply.

He raises an eyebrow. "_You got shot out of a volcano_?" He repeats.

I nod. "It's not as fun as it sounds."

His nose scrunches up. "It doesn't sound fun at all."

Annabeth appears at the end of our aisle holding a clear prism and three donuts. It's amazing how she's able to hold all that without dropping it. She hands me the jelly-filled one. Annabeth takes a bite out of hers, swallows, then holds up the prism like a prize. "Come on. Let's go to the back to Iris message Chiron."

When the cashier's back is turned, we go out the rear exit. Outside there is a hose that we quickly turn on. Annabeth holds the prism at just the right height.

"Anyone got any drachmas?"

I dig through my purse. At the bottom there are three. One of these times I'm going to need to get a job to get more. Can I even get a job and get paid in drachmas?

Annabeth throws it into the mist as an offering for the Goddess Iris. She mutters who she wants to talk to and where, and soon enough the image changes. Chiron is standing in the middle of the camp in full battle gear and a bow on his back. Campers rush around in a frenzy. They are dressed in full battle gear too. If the battle comes earlier than planned, they are ready for it.

Chiron relaxes when he sees us through the message. "I trust that you found the mortal Percy was talking about?"

Annabeth nods. "Her name is Rachel. Percy was right. She guided us through the maze. Rachel could see _everything_."

The centaur nods his head thoughtfully. "I assumed so if she had as good sight as Percy said." His calm face quickly turns serious. "How is the quest going? Did you reach the center of the maze? Where are you?"

Her face falls slightly, but Chiron doesn't notice. Or maybe he does but wants to give her a chance to explain everything first. "We have." She answers quickly

"And was Daedalus alive?"

"He was but..."

Chiron raises an eyebrow. "But what? Is he not willing to help?"

"Chiron," I start, "Daedalus was Quintus the whole time." He doesn't bother to hide his surprise. "He also was no help at all. It was a huge waste of time!" I say with venom. "He gave the string to Luke. He can now bring an army through the maze. We don't have much time."

Chiron soaks in the new information quickly. He turns around and gestures towards Clarisse. She runs over, looks at the Iris message with interest, then turns back to the centaur. "Clarisse, begin to increase the guard around the entrance and be prepared for an attack at any second. If possible, have the Hephaestus cabin increase their explosives and weapons production. We will need everything that we have."

Based on the expression on Clarisse's face, I half expect her to salute Chiron. "I can do that. There will be twice as many guards set up within the hour." She says. Clarisse pauses and for a second she looks terrified. "Has something happened?"

Chiron nods gravely. "Luke has the string. He will attack soon."

Clarisse turns towards us in the Iris message. "Do you know when?"

Annabeth shakes her head. "We just know that it's soon."

"Please return as quickly as you can." Chiron says. "We need every hero that we have. I'm sorry that the quest wasn't as successful as we hoped, but there is nothing more to be done other than to wait and to prepare ourselves."

"We will be back as soon as possible." Annabeth agrees. She swipes her hand through the message. The message collapses on itself. "We should get back to Rachel and Percy before they get into any kind of trouble."

Annabeth, Nico, and I walk back around the gift shop to the parking lot. There, Rachel leans against an expensive looking car with Percy staring at her with a confused expression on his face.

"I told Chiron everything." Annabeth tells him. "They're preparing for the battle and doing their best, but he still needs us back. Plus, there's not really anything more that we can do. We should go back to camp and help out."

Percy agrees with her.

I point towards Rachel who is talking to a driver. He looks very flustered and keeps repeating 'yes' over and over to anything she says. "Is... Is _that_ the car we're riding it?" I ask in disbelief.

Percy shrugs. "I guess so."

It looks nice. It's an expensive car that is worth more than all the strawberries at camp combined. My eyebrows rise into my hairline. "How-"

Percy shakes his head. "No idea."

Rachel jogs over to us with a frown on her face. "The driver's ready when you guys are." She gestures towards the car. "Come on."

As we get closer, I see a man with khakis and a polo shirt argue with the driver. His face is bright red and his hands are waving wildly, but the driver isn't having any of it. He keeps repeating that it's an emergency and that another car will pick him up. Weird. I wonder what Rachel told him.

My jaw falls open when I see the inside of the car. The seats and interior are leather. There is a small mini fridge and a television built into the headrests.

"What in the Hades is this?" I exclaim. I run my hands along the smooth seats.

Rachel holds back a laugh. "It's our ride. Trust me, I've seen nicer cars."

"You have?"

Her face falls slack, like she said something that she shouldn't have. "Yeah...you know... in magazines... and ahhh tv."

I lean back. "This is nice." I groan. My eyes fall on the mini fridge. "Nico, what's in the fridge?" I ask since he's the one sitting closest to it.

Nico peers in. "Let's see... Bubbly lemon flavored water, some wine, several ketchup packets, and mints."

Percy leans forward in excitement. "I really want some bubbly lemon flavored water right now!" He reaches in the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water. The bottle is curved and purposefully made to look fancy. Percy holds it up so that we can see it. His face is pure joy. "This is amazing. Hey, I'm going take one more!"

"Percy." Annabeth warns, her eyes flashing. "This isn't our car. Only take one."

He continues to reach for it, slowly and his eyes on her to constantly gauge her reaction. "But the other one is for my mom." He protests. "She has to see this for herself."

Annabeth sighs as if to say 'I can't believe I have to deal with this', but she lets him grab a second bottle of water. Something tells me that Percy plans on drinking both bottles himself instead of taking one to his mom.

The driver turns around. "Where to, Miss Dare?"

Rachel bites her lip in concentration. "I'm not too sure, Robert. Just -uh drive around I guess."

"Whatever you say, miss." The driver starts the car and we pull out of the parking lot.

Percy stares at her. "Do you know him?"

"Never met him before in my life." She answers.

"But why is he helping us? He just dropped everything for you." Percy says.

Rachel turns to look out the window. "Just help us look, Percy." She snaps. Percy reluctantly joins us in our search for any sign of an entrance to the Labyrinth.

I lean against Nico's shoulder as we look out the window for what seems like days. We have seen more of Colorado Springs than I ever wanted to see in my entire life, and yet there is no sign of an entrance. Maybe Nico is wrong and Daedalus did die, taking the Labyrinth with him. These doubts are shattered the moment that Rachel jumps up in the car with a jolt.

"Get off the highway!" Rachel screams.

The driver glances back, obviously assuming the worse. "Miss, is something wrong?"

"I saw something, I think." Rachel answers. Her green eyes keep staring at one spot along the road. "Turn off here."

The driver expertly drives through traffic. He weaves between cars and goes off an exit ramp.

"What did you see?" Percy asks.

"I saw an entrance. Western Museum of Mining and Industry. I almost didn't see it." She says. Rachel leans forward so that the driver can hear her better. "Turn right here, please."

The car stops in front of the museum that looks more like a house. There are old pipes and shovels scattered around the front of it with small plaques describing what they were. Honestly I find it disappointing. This isn't exactly my idea of a museum.

Rachel opens the door and points towards a tunnel in the side of a hill. It is covered by a door and chain. "There. That's it."

Annabeth looks at her skeptically. "How can you be sure?"

The red-head waves her hands wildly, trying to find the right words. "Just look at it!"

"I don't see anything." I tell her.

Rachel frowns slightly. "Well, _I _can. It's as clear as day."

The driver rolls down the window. He smiles at us.

"Thank you so much for the ride." She says.

He shakes his head. "It's nothing. Are you going to be fine? I would be more than happy to call-"

"No!" Rachel interrupts. She clears her throat dramatically. "No, that won't be necessary. We'll be fine. Have a nice day" And with that, he drives off.

We walk up the hill towards the entrance. The sickening feeling in my stomach is back. I really hate the Labyrinth. Percy touches the small mark of Daedalus on the padlock. It's so small that I have trouble seeing it from a couple of feet away. I have no idea how Rachel was able to see it from the highway. The chains fall away to reveal the maze again. We step inside, hoping that this time we won't run into trouble.

I nearly laugh aloud at that thought. Trouble has a way of finding us. No, we're bound to find something to put us in mortal danger. Now _that's_ a comforting thought while I'm walking into my nightmare.


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm back! Sorry for the wait, school has been kicking my butt, but here is the update! Sorry if there's mistakes, I was rushing to get this done so I didn't edit as well as I should have!**

**ArcticFox319: Thank you! :D I hope you like this update too!**

**Outlandish Dreamer: Thank you! xoxo And I do! I know this is really, _really_ late, but Happy Thanksgiving to you too!**

**everthingpotterish: Thanks! I want to write a book some time in the future, but I know I still have a lot to improve on with my writing. I'll get there someday, though! And no I haven't! I really really need to soon.**

**Stellar Nymph: I'm super glad you do! And yes I will be including the Heroes of Olympus! Rina is in for a long adventure!**

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><p>"I really hate this maze." I mutter as we come to a crossroad for the millionth time. Luckily for us, Rachel knows where she's going. She doesn't pause when she makes a choice of what direction we will take. Her eyes are focused in tight concentration. Rachel wants nothing to disturb from guiding us. Several times Percy tried to start a conversation but she shushed him. Hopefully he didn't take it to heart.<p>

"So," Annabeth starts in an attempt to end the awkward silence, "Rachel, do you have any siblings?"

Rachel frowns, obviously not liking the distraction. "None."

"Oh." Annabeth says. We walk several more yards before she says anything else. "Any pets?"

"Had a couple hamsters. They died in a tragic hamster wheel accident, though." Rachel answers quickly. She points down a dirt hallway. "That way." We turn the direction that she told us to go. The corridor changes to be made out of stone. It reminds me of a castle. It's nicer to pretend that I'm in the dungeon of some castle than in the Labyrinth.

Annabeth continues to make conversation and slowly Rachel opens up, but not as much as Annabeth would like. I can tell that she's irritated with Rachel's evasiveness, but all that frustration disappears when Rachel mentions something about architecture. Now the two are in a heated conversation about different buildings and such. Percy, Nico, and I stay quiet. None of us know a thing about architecture. It's safer not to say anything and risk embarrassing ourselves by using the wrong term or something.

Percy falls back next to Nico and me, not wanting to take part in the conversation about architecture. "Thank you for coming back for us." Percy tells Nico.

His eyes narrow slightly. He moves away from us a fraction of an inch. What disturbs me is how broken he looks. This isn't the Nico that I met last winter, and I'm afraid that I will never see that Nico ever again. "I owed you at the ranch, Percy. Geryon would've sold me off to the Titans without you. Rina too."

"Yeah, that wouldn't have been good." Percy answers.

Nico looks stiff and awkward. He doesn't make eye-contact with the Son of Poseidon. "I... ahh also wanted to see Daedalus for myself. Minos was right when it came to him. Daedalus _should _die. It's unnatural for someone to avoid death like that. That's why I went back into the maze."

I frown. I told him about me coming back from the dead. Does he think that's unnatural too? It is in a way. It shouldn't happen. In fact, I shouldn't even exist. Everything about me is unnatural. A god and a demigod were never meant to have children. I'm sure that is one of the arguments some gods justified to vote for me to die.

"That's what you were after this whole time, right? You were planning to trade Daedalus's soul for your sister's." Percy comments wisely.

Nico falls silent. His messy hair falls over his face as we walk. It takes him fifty yards to actually say something. "It hasn't been easy without her. I've only had the dead for company ever since I left." He pauses. The broken pieces that are Nico become clearer to Percy and me, but a whole part of him is still a mystery. We finally get a small glimpse at how smashed his spirit is. "Every day I am reminded that I will never be accepted by the living, not truly. Only the dead respect me, and that is out of fear."

I shake my head. "That's not true at all. I respect you and I'm living."

His face turns dark. "A lot has changed in the past months. _I _have changed. And not for the better. You didn't get to see how much I changed over the Iris messages. You have no idea."

I shake my head again. "That's not true. Even if you have changed, you are still my friend. You are still Nico, my _best_ friend. No matter what." I tell him.

A small remnant of a smile creeps up on his lips, but it quickly falls. "You will be disappointed."

Rachel stops suddenly. All four of us reach for our weapons. "What is it? Do you see something?" Percy asks warily.

She continues to stare down the dark passageway. Her red eyebrows and pushed together in confusion and her lips are pursed. It looks like she's trying to mimic the models that I always saw in Aphrodite's magazines.

"Is it that way?" Annabeth asks after a long moment of silence.

"No." Rachel answers fast.

"Then why are we stopping?" Percy exclaims.

Nico holds up his hand for silence. "Don't you hear it?"

We fall silent. There is a faint howl of wind. The breeze carries a smell of leaves. It's unfamiliar but it smells _earthy_. Deep in my gut I can feel the power surging from the tunnel, but it's nothing like the energy that constantly radiates off of Olympus. Something about it gives me a large sense of dread. _We definitely shouldn't go that way._

"I don't know what it is, but it's evil." Rachel tells us without looking away from the tunnel. "It's very powerful. I don't like it at all."

Nico wrinkles his nose. "It also smells like death."

I raise an eyebrow. "What does death smell like anyways?"

His brown eyes find mine. "You don't want to know."

Annabeth sniffs the air. "It smells like Eucalyptus trees. Like the ones in California. It must be Luke's entrance to the Titans' palace on Mount Tamalpais." She guesses.

"I have to check it out." Percy blurts out suddenly.

Annabeth glares at him like a mother scolding a child. "Absolutely not."

Percy gestures towards the tunnel oozing with evil. "Luke could be right there!" Percy pauses. His green eyes are wide. "Or... Or maybe Kronos. I have to find out what's going on. You guys understand, right?"

I take out my blade and clean it off on the edge of my shirt, anything to keep me from wondering what is down that tunnel. It'll only worry me. "Do you at least have some sort of plan?" I ask him.

He thinks for several moments. "Sneak in. Take a look around. Sneak out." He says confidently.

I raise an eyebrow. Percy is dead serious. I wait for him to add on something, but he never does. A headache quickly forms. He can't honestly expect to just waltz in and not get caught. And knowing Percy, he will find some way to get himself in trouble. "Really, that's it?" I ask in disbelief.

Annabeth nods with me. "Honestly, Percy. They could have guards. There could be monsters. Maybe dozens of them! We don't know what is there."

"Exactly!" Percy tells us. "That's why I need to take a look around."

The Daughter of Athena places her hands on her hips. "First off, that's pretty stupid to just go in there with a plan like that. Second, if you're going, then we're all going."

"No. That's too dangerous. If they get a hold of Nico, Rina, or Rachel, Kronos could use them! You four need to stay here and stay safe." Percy says.

Annabeth backs down. She's convinced. I never thought I'd see the day when Annabeth would agree with Percy so quickly. She doesn't eve bother to argue with him, which is very uncharacteristic for her.

Rachel stares at Annabeth, expecting her to tell Percy that he can't do this, but is surprised when she falls silent. The mortal steps in front of Percy to block his way. "No, Percy." She says sternly. "You are _not_ doing this."

Percy gives her a lop-sided smile. "I'll be really quick and I promise that I won't do anything stupid."

I sigh and place a hand on his shoulder. "Please, _please_ don't do anything that Annabeth wouldn't do." He nods and promises. Hopefully that it enough to keep him from doing something reckless that he always ends up doing.

Annabeth reaches into her pants pocket. She pulls out a worn-out Yankees cap. The seams are frayed but she looks at it like it's the Holy Grail. "Take this and be careful." Percy takes the hat and places it on his head. He disappears right before our eyes. I can't see him, but I know that he is already gone. There is no stopping him now.

* * *

><p>I shuffle my feet nervously. "He's been gone for a while." I break the silence.<p>

Annabeth nods solemnly. Her grey eyes are laced with worry and her mouth is stuck in a frown. Rachel fidgets around with her blue plastic brush and Nico is leaning against the wall with his head tucked into his coat. While Annabeth's worry is plain, Rachel and Nico are more subtle. Rachel has run her comb through her hair so much that it's shining, and there is no stop of her putting her brush away. Nico's foot is tapping nervously even though his face is emotionless. I, on the other hand, have taken up a dangerous nervous tick of throwing my knife between my hands.

Annabeth stands up suddenly. She unsheathes her dagger. "I'll go and look for him."

"I'm coming with." I tell her.

Nico looks up. "If Rina's going, then I'm going too."

Rachel puts her hands on her hips. "And I'm most definitely not staying here alone. You'll have to bring me with too."

Annabeth groans. She puts a hand on her hip. "You guys can't come at all. You three have to stay here. Percy had a point back there about Kronos being able to use you. It's not safe for any of you."

"It's not safe for you either." I remind her.

She bites her lip in concentration. "I'm safer than any of you are."

"Because of Luke?" I question.

She quickly looks away. "He won't hurt me. If I get caught, I won't be killed."

Nico shakes his head. "You don't know that, not for sure." He stands next to us. Nico has grown since I last seen him and I didn't notice it until he was standing right next to me. He's already several inches taller than me. "Annabeth, we're coming with you. We'll watch each other's backs."

"But-"

I sigh. "There's no way we'll let you leave without us."

Annabeth is obviously conflicted, but she ends up nodding. "Fine. But you have to follow my every command." Annabeth tells us sternly. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. She sounds just like Athena. The resemblance is uncanny. "We will stick to the shadows and out of sight. If anyone or anything notices us, we get rid of them as quickly and quietly as possible. Then we'll find Percy and get out as fast as possible. Everyone understand?" We nod together. Annabeth gestures towards the tunnel. "Come on."

She silently leads us out of the maze. Within moments the darkness is replaced with a view of the mountain. At the top there is a pure black fortress. It reminds me of a black hole sucking all the life out of everything around it. The walls are about fifty feet high with spikes at the top. My eyes shift slightly, refracting everything so that it temporarily looks like the top of the moment then back to the fortress. There is so much mist surrounding the mountain that I feel sick. Above us the sky swirls with dark clouds. It's like nothing that I have ever seen before in my life.

"That... is terrifying." Rachel squeaks. All we can do is nod. It has made us all speechless. "Do you think Percy is up there?" Rachel slides her brush into her back pocket.

"Probably." Annabeth sighs.

We slowly but surely make our way up the mountain. Several times we have to hide while telekhines or other monsters pass by, but none see us. If we were found, I can't imagine what would've happened. Soon enough we stand in front of the fortress. The tall walls peer down at us in dismay.

We creep inside of the fortress with Annabeth in the lead. Our weapons are drawn. Even Rachel has her brush out in front of her like a knife. Nico watches our back to make sure that nothing sneaks up on us. The long hallways are quiet. Too quiet. That is until we hear footsteps dashing towards us. At the other end of the hallway is Percy. He looks absolutely terrified, and that is enough to convince me that we need to run too. Only moments after we see Percy, Luke comes barreling after him with a scythe in his hand. He swings it back and forth with a large horrifying smile on his face. He looks absolutely insane.

"Run, little hero." Luke chuckles creepily. "Run! I do like a good chase!"

Rachel is the only one of us that has enough courage to act. "PERCY!" She shrieks and throws her hairbrush right at Luke's eye. He stumbles back, giving Percy enough time to run up to us.

"Luke? What is going-" Annabeth starts but stops when Percy tugs her shirt violently towards the door. I don't waste a second to follow him. We sprint towards the Labyrinth. My lungs feel like they're going to collapse but I have to keep going. Whatever happened back there couldn't have been good, and I definitely do not want to find out what was happening to Luke by meeting him face to face.

The deepest and loudest bellow that I have ever heard comes from the fortress. It is full of pure rage that shakes me to my bones. "AFTER THEM, NOW!"

"No!" Nico screams. He stops and turns towards the fortress. Nico claps his hands together. A tremor of power comes from him and vibrates through the ground. A large sliver of rock erupts and blocks the front entrance of the fortress, taking several pillars down with it. There are several muffled screams of anguish from Luke and some monsters.

Without standing around and staring at Nico's show of power like we wanted to, we continue to sprint towards the entrance. Right at the entrance of the Labyrinth I trip, scraping my knees. My shimmering blood runs down to my ankles. I feel someone pick me up by the back of my shirt and place me back on my feet. Without looking to see who helped me up, we run into the Labyrinth.

"What's happening?" I gasp.

Percy shakes his head. "Just run!" He yells back.

Rachel leads us through the maze with incredible accuracy. Our feet hit the ground at the same beat of my heart. None of us look back to see if anyone's following us for fear that we'll trip. My purple hair is in tangles but I can care less. Besides me I hear Annabeth sob. She sounds so sad and scared. From what I heard, she really looks up to Luke. Whatever was happening to him must have been hard to see.

After what feels like hours, Rachel stops. She hugs her chest. Her face is bright red from running. "I... can't go... any further."

Annabeth collapses against the wall. She puts her head between her knees. Her whole body shakes his sobs. I take a seat next to her and pull her in for a half-hug. Annabeth clings to me with an iron grip. Tears stream down her eyes like rain and she struggles to breath between her sobs.

Rachel, Percy, and Nico sit opposite from us. Nico throws his weapon down beside him. He leans his head back against the wall. "That sucked." He says bluntly.

Percy makes a sound that sounds like a mix of a hysterical laugh and Annabeth's cries. "You saved us, Nico."

Nico shrugs. He looks at Annabeth warily. She continues to cry into my shirt. "Annabeth wanted to go find you after you didn't come back. We couldn't just let her go in alone." He almost smirks. _Almost_. "We all knew that we needed to help you or you'd mess everything up."

Percy lips curve into a small smile despite the depressing atmosphere. "Wow, I can just feel you guys' faith in me radiating off of you." The smile falls as fast as it came. "You kind of gave yourself away back there, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you did make a wall of stone." I answer, half focused on the conversation and half focused on comforting Annabeth any way that I can. "Kronos now knows for sure that you are a Child of Hades."

Nico frowns. To others it might seem like he's indifferent about the situation, but I can see the worry in his eyes. He seems to sense that I know what he's really feeling because he turns away so that I can't see his face. "It's not a big deal."

Annabeth finally lifts her head. "What was wrong with Luke?" She asked. Her voice cracks with tears.

I nod. "I don't really know what he was like before all this, but I'm guessing that wasn't the usual Luke behavior."

Percy looks at Annabeth. He seems like he's afraid that anything he says will set her off. Whatever happened, it was bad. _Very bad_.

Annabeth frowns at his silence. "Percy, tell us what happened."

He sighs. "I went into the fortress and..." He stops suddenly.

"And what?" She presses.

"There was a coffin. Power was coming from it... I can't describe it, but it felt _evil_. I opened it and..." Percy pauses. "Annabeth, are you sure you want to hear this?"

Her face grows pale, already expecting the worst. Though she looks terrified of what she is about to hear, she nods. "We have to know what's happening." She says much more confidently than she looks to have. Her hand tightens around my arm with anticipation.

"Luke was inside of the coffin. Kronos is using him as a body. After Ethan Nakamura pledged his allegiance to him, he had enough power to wake up." Percy explains. "Kronos some how is using Luke's body to start a war."

Annabeth takes in a shaky breath. "Are you positive that it's Kronos?" She whispers.

"One hundred percent. He even did the weird time thing to me. It's him."

Rachel places her head in her hands. "Just when I thought that this couldn't get crazier, I had to be proved wrong!" She groans.

Annabeth shakes her head. Her eyes grow wide in disbelief. "No, that can't be true. Maybe you-"

"I know what I saw." Percy interrupts gently.

I feel her hands tighten around me, searching for any kind of support. She looks almost as sad as she did when she thought that Percy was dead a week or two ago.

"He gave himself over to Kronos." Percy explains as calmly as he possibly can. I see the desperation in his eyes to have Annabeth understand what is happening. Knowing Annabeth, she will defend Luke with her dying breath. We all need her to understand that if what Percy says is true, then Luke is lost. She can't keep clinging on to the hope that Luke will come back to her. "I'm so sorry Annabeth, but Luke is gone. He's not coming back."

Annabeth bolts up right. "No! You're wrong!"

I put a hand on her shoulder. "He's not. If Kronos has taken over Luke's body, then it's over."

She jerks away from me like I smacked her. Her eyes glisten with fresh tears. "You saw when Rachel hit him with the brush! It was Luke. He is still in there. I know it!"

Percy turns towards Rachel to avoid the Daughter of Athena's harsh glare. "How does it feel to know that you hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a plastic hairbrush?"

Her cheeks turn red but her mouth curves into a sly smirk. "It was the only thing I had on me. But honestly, it feels _pretty_ awesome."

Annabeth leans forward and places her hands on her knees. "But you saw how he was when he was hit. He came back to his senses for a second. Luke was there."

"So maybe Kronos wasn't completely settled in the new body or something." Percy shrugs. The anger on Annabeth's face grows by the second. "It doesn't mean that Luke was in control."

She clenches her fist. I move myself so that I can hold her back if Percy pushes her too far. "You just _want_ him to be evil, don't you Percy?" She yells. "None of you knew him before. I did! Luke is not bad!"

Percy throws his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Why do you keep defending him? Why?"

Rachel steps in between them. Bad move. _Very bad move_. She should know by now that Annabeth will crush anyway who stands in her way. And if she wants to yell at Percy, she will do exactly that whether Rachel tries to stop her or not. "You two need to calm down!" Rachel exclaims.

Annabeth jabs a sharp finger at her. "Stay out of it, mortal!" She screams. "If it wasn't for you..." Her voice cracks. In a second her anger shatters to reveal the sadness under her mask. Annabeth covers her face with her hands and sobs quietly, not bothering to finish what she was going to say.

Nico shuffles slightly. He seems to blend in to the shadows and he looks incredibly uncomfortable. "We should get moving. He'll send monsters after us. It's not safe to sit around in one place for too long."

I look down at Annabeth who is still crying. She's in no shape to move.

Percy nods. He kneels next to Annabeth. She looks up at him through her cracked fingers. "Hey," he softly, "I'm really sorry. I didn't want to make you that angry. We have to get moving now."

Annabeth nods, her blonde curls covering her face. She pushes back her hair and dries off any tears that are on her face. "I know. I'm alright." I hold out a hand to help her up.

"Okay, let's-" Percy pauses. He stares down at the ground in front of him. It's Grover's hat. With shaking hands, he picks up the hat. Up ahead there are a large set of footsteps with two others that look to be Tyson's and Grover's. The large ones look like they belong to some sort of monster. The time I spent with the Hunters of Artemis helped me see that they're fresh. They couldn't have been here more than an hour ago.

"Is that really his?" I ask.

Percy nods. "We have to follow them." He says decisively.

Nico shakes his head. "There's no time. We have to get back to Camp Halfblood."

"They're our friends." I tell him. "There's no way in Hades that I'm not going after them."

"But-"

I glare at Nico. "You can go back to camp, but I'm going after Grover and Tyson. They can't be too far. The footprints are fresh."

Rachel takes the lead as look-out for traps. Annabeth, Percy, and I quickly follow. It takes him several seconds, but Nico falls in step by my side. He doesn't say a word.

The ground is muddy. It's incredibly easy to slip, and it doesn't help the tunnel is either a steady incline or decline. More than once we slipped down. By the time we went over the third incline in the tunnel, we are covered head to toe in mud. There's no use for me to use my powers to clean us since we will only get dirty again the next time we slip.

Once again I fall down. It's official. My jeans are ruined. Not even the power of Aphrodite can save them now. Nico helps me stand up. "You were right." He mumbles.

My eyebrows come together in confusion. "About what?"

He turns to look forward. "About going after them. We can't leave them down here." His eyes light up slightly when I smile at him.

We come to the bottom of another slope. Finally the mud tunnel turns into a large cavern. There are stalagmite columns that poke out of the ground. A river runs through the center of the cavern. Tyson sits on the bank of the stream with Grover's head on his lap. The satyr's eyes are closed and he isn't moving. Poor Tyson looks petrified.

"Tyson!" Percy exclaims.

Tyson turns. His eye widens. "Come quick!" He yells back

We run over to the two as fast as humanly possible. Up close we can finally see that Grover isn't dead. He is trembling like he's incredibly cold. His breathing is shallow but steady.

I look at Nico. "Is he going to...?" He shakes his head slowly. Grover isn't going to die. Not now.

Percy kneels in front of Tyson and Grover. "What happened after we separated?" He asks.

"Many things." He murmurs. "Large snake. Huge dogs. Men with swords. When we go close to here, Grover was so excited. He ran to this room and fell like this."

"Did he say anything to you?"

Tyson shrugs. "Just 'we're close'."

Percy turns to me. "Can I borrow the flashlight?" I hand him Apollo's present. Percy turns up the brightness and shines it around the cavern. Tucked in the back is an entrance to another cave. Two gigantic columns of crystal guard the entrance. The rocks glitter like disco balls. I can't see what is inside of the new cave, but it feels different from anything I have ever felt.

Percy shakes Grover's shoulder. "Grover, you have to wake up."

The satyr groans. "Idonwannnnawwaaakeeuppp." He moans, sounding like a garbled mess.

Annabeth rolls her eyes. She cups her hands with the cold water and splashes it on Grover's face. He jolts up shivering. "AHH!" He shrieks. Grover looks around nervously. "Annabeth, Percy, Rina... what are you...?"

Percy smiles at his friend's reaction. "Everything's fine. You just passed out from Pan's presence. It was too much for you."

Grover nods his head sharply. "I remember. Pan!"

Percy nods. "Yeah, there's something right beyond that doorway." He points towards the entrance to the cave.

Grover gasps with delight. He looks like he's ready to sprint towards it. But then he notices Rachel. The satyrs eyes narrow to a suspicious slant. "Who are you?"

Rachel holds out her hand. Grover hesitantly shakes it. "Rachel Dare at your service."

"You're pretty." Tyson comments without shame. Rachel blushes and mutters out a quiet 'thank you'. Out of the corner of my eye I see Annabeth flare her nostrils. She must really not like her.

Percy frowns at Annabeth's irritation but doesn't say anything. It's just better to avoid the subject entirely. "Alright, come on. You can lean on my shoulder." He tells Grover. Annabeth goes over to the satyr's other side and places his arm over her shoulder while Percy has the other. Grover doesn't look like he's in a lot of pain, just woozy. Even with Annabeth and Percy's help, he is swaying from side to side.

We walk up to the bank of the river. "How cold do you think it is?" I ask, gazing at the water. The temperature won't affect me much, but I'm afraid for my friends. Dying of hypothermia is definitely not a nice way to go out.

"Really cold." Tyson answers. He hesitantly takes a step into the river. The cyclops stiffens immediately but continues to wade in the river. Annabeth, Grover, and Percy follow. Nico waits until I'm in the river first before he wades after us. The only person, other than me, who isn't shivering is Percy. I also can't help but notice that he's completely dry. Lucky boy.

Annabeth looks around the cavern with wonder. Every stalagmite is a piece of art to her. Staring at the cavern must be talking her mind of the coldness because she's not shivering as hard as the others. "I think I know where we are." She says suddenly.

Percy looks at her in disbelief. "How can you possibly know where we are just by looking at the cavern?"

She rolls her eyes. "I read a lot. That and the fact that we were in New Mexico the last time that Grover fainted. My bet is that we're in an unexplored section of the Carlsbad Caverns."

We pulls ourselves out of the river. I dry myself with my abilities and help out everyone else by drying their clothes with the power inside of me. It wouldn't be right to only dry myself. Especially when it is so cold down here.

Soon the pillars tower right above us. There is an undenying feeling of power seeping from the archway. The air smells sweet like flowers and leaves. My skin tingles with excitement. Any weariness that I had before completely disappears. But that isn't what surprises me the most.

When we step inside, we see an entirely different world encased in our own. The walls glitter with random spots of color. The ceiling is high like the throne room in Olympus. Every kind of plant imaginable is in this room, growing on the walls and ground. In the middle of the room is a bed. If I thought about it, it's weird to see something man-made like a bed in the middle of an oasis like this, but it is quite the opposite. It blends in like the rest of the plants. Several animals lounge on the bed, but they're animals that are supposed to be extinct. I freeze when I see an old satyr in the middle of the bed, cuddling with the animals. I have heard enough stories about the god to know that this is Pan. This is the lost god, finally found.

Grover and I fall on our knees so fast that we nearly fall on our faces.

"L-Lord Pan!" Grover stutters. His face blushes a bright red for stumbling his words in front of the god, but Pan doesn't mind. In fact, he seems to find it charming that Grover is so nervous to be with him.

Pan pats a dodo bird on the head. "My brave satyr, I have waited for you for a long time."

Grover stares down at the ground. "I'm sorry, Lord Pan. I… got lost."

The god laughs. The sound makes all of us relax. The animals sigh in happiness at his laughter. Pan affects everything in the room. Even the plants have a more vibrant color to their leaves and petals. "It's a small world." Pan answers simply.

Annabeth, Rachel, Nico, and Percy all realize at the same time that they should be kneeling. They quickly fall in line with Grover and me.

"This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen!" Annabeth exclaims with awe. She has the same excited look on her face she always gets when I catch her reading a new book about architecture. "It's better than any building ever designed."

Pan is truly pleased that Annabeth is so captivated with it. His cheeks grow rosy with happiness. "Yes, it is quite beautiful. I am very glad that you like it, my dear. It is one of the last wild places." His smile falls slightly. "My realm above is gone.

Only small pockets remain, but even those are slowly shrinking." Pan holds out his arms and gestures towards the cavern. "This will remain undisturbed for many more years, but even though it will eventually disappear."

"But how?" I ask suddenly, forgetting my manners in front of such a respected god as Pan. "Nobody can possibly get down here."

Pan chuckles. His eyes dance with amusement. "Eventually a way will be found. It always is. And let me remind you that you found your way down here."

Grover clasped his hands together like he's about to pray. "Please, my lord, you have to come back with me! The elders will never believe this! Everyone will be overjoyed. You can save the wild!"

Pan's form shimmers like a hologram. Apollo told me long ago as a bedtime story about Helios. He was a Greek god like Apollo, but when the Roman's came, he faded. He was no longer needed. Nobody heard from Helios again. He and his power disappeared. I imagine that this is the exact way that Helios looked before he faded to wherever forgotten gods go.

The God of the Wild grins, but it's sad. "You are so young, Grover. So young and true. It's refreshing. I have chosen well."

Grover falters. "Chose? What do you mean?" He asks fearfully. Perhaps he already knows what is happening.

Then Pan almost completely vanishes. The animals on the beds squeal unhappily, but calm down when his form reappears. Suddenly the peppy god is gone. In place is one that is tired and weary, preparing themselves for the end. "I have slept many eons." He says gravely. "My dreams have been dark. They make me worried for what is to come. I constantly wake fitfully. When I am awake, I am weak and each time I am awake for a shorter time. I have long accepted that the end is near."

A flash of panic rushes throughout Grover's face. His body stiffens and his face is pale white. "That can't be true!" He exclaims.

Pan shakes his head sadly. "Your kind never believed it. You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing, and I love you for it. It's warming to my heart to know that I have touched so many during my time. But, you are only delaying the inevitable. It must end."

Grover's whole body trembles. "No." He cries out. "No, no, no. It can't."

Pan's face is full of emotion. "Oh, Grover, you must accept the truth." He turns his head to look at Nico. "Your companion, Nico, knows the truth."

Nico nods slowly. The dim light makes the bags under his eyes look bigger. "He's dying. I can feel it. He should have died a long time ago." Nico pauses, trying to find the right words. "This… is more like a faint memory of him."

Grover stares at Nico with wide, unbelieving eyes. "Gods can't die." He states bluntly.

"But they can fade." I answer. Pan nods gravely. "Lord Pan is about to fade like Helios and Selene."

"You are correct, Aikarina. When everything they stood for is gone and their sacred places disappear, then they cease to have power. The wild is so small now. It's so shattered that even all the gods put together wouldn't be able to save it. It is clear that my realm is gone. Each of you must carry on my message. Grover, go back to the council and tell them that I'm dead. You _must_ tell them of my passing because they keep waiting for me to save them when I cannot. You must be the one to create the salvation. Each of you must take up my calling." Pan tells us.

"But…" Grover whimpers. His lip trembles.

Pan places a hand on Grover's shoulders. "Be strong. You have found me, and now I need you to release me. You must carry on my spirit for it can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken by all of you."

The god turns to look at Percy. "Percy Jackson." He muses. "I know what you have seen today and I know your doubts. When the time comes, you will not be ruled by fear. Remember that." He turns to Annabeth with a glint in his eye. "Daughter of Athena, you have a role to play. It is a great one, but not the role that you ever imagined to play."

Pan gazes at Tyson. "Do not despair. Heroes hardly ever live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson, your name will live on throughout the generations." The god looks at Rachel. Her eyes grow wide in surprise at the god acknowledging her. "Rachel Dare, I know you believe that you can't make amends, but you are just as important as your father." Rachel looks down at the ground. In the dim light I make out tears streaming down her face.

Pan smiles at me. "Aikarina, I sense that you have seen and felt some dark things, though you may not remember them all. That pebble of darkness will only grow larger if you let it." At the mention of it, I feel the familiar weight on my chest from my trip to the Underworld. I nod in understanding.

Finally he turns to face Grover. "My dear satyr, will you carry on my message?" He asks kindly.

Grover wipes a stray tear away. "I'm sorry, my lord, but I-I can't. I can't do it."

"You can and you must." Pan insists. "You are the strongest and bravest that I have seen. And most importantly, your heart is true. You have believed in me most of all, which is way you must be the one to release me."

"What if… what if I don't want to?" Grover murmurs.

"I know." Pan says softly. "But you must remake the wild. You must carry on my message and spread my spirit through your words and actions. You cannot wait for anyone, even a god, to do that for you."

Grover slowly stands up. He wipes his eyes and sniffs loudly. This is destroying him. "I've spent my entire life looking for you. Now, I release you. You are free, Lord Pan."

Pan smiles so largely that it says it all. _Finally free_. His form dissolves into a white mist. It flows into each of our mouths. My body feels energized and the rock of darkness and despair feels lighter.

The God of the Wild is gone.


	25. Chapter 25

**It's slightly shorter than usual since I am very busy with school. I just had my finals and am starting a new semester, but I figured I need to at least write something! Thank you for all your support! The next few updates will probably just be cute little one shots of their summer before I start the next book, so be ready for that!**

**Outlandish Dreamer: Thank you! It always makes me sad too when Pan left Nico out. I'm so happy that you review so often :)**

**ArcticFox 319: Thank you so much!**

**Guest: Yes, Rina will be just fine.**

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><p>The cave loses all life once the god is gone. The plants turn brown and quickly die. All the animals look at us sadly before dissolving to piles of dust. Instead of looking like the oasis it did before, it looks more like a desert void of life. Pan was the only thing pumping energy into the small cavern, and without him, it is nothing.<p>

Grover gets up from his knees. "We should go." He says quietly. "The great god Pan is dead."

"Are you sure?" I ask the satyr. "We can rest for a couple of minutes."

He shakes his head. "No, we have to get back to camp." Grover's face has no emotion on it. It's hard to get a read on how he's feeling. But if I had to guess, then it would be devastated. Hundreds of satyrs have spent their entire lives trying to find Pan in hopes of returning the wild, only to have that hope shatter into a million of pieces.

Annabeth leads the way back into the maze. Everyone stays silent. It doesn't feel right to go back to normal conversations after Pan. That's when it hits me. Pan never mentioned Nico. I glance back at him. He doesn't look much different, but lately he has been good at hiding his emotions. Maybe I should talk to him about it.

"That way." Rachel points towards a tunnel which should take us back to New York.

She successful leads us away from traps and dead ends with ease. I wouldn't be surprised if she could lead us through the Labyrinth with her eyes closed. While she is concentrating on which tunnel we should take, each of us try to keep our minds off of Pan. Percy is counting his steps under his breath. He's over two-hundred now. Considering that most of our time was spent running from monsters, Annabeth didn't get much time to look at the architecture of the maze like she is now. Her wide grey eyes soak in every detail. Grover is having a hushed conversation with Tyson about plans for the battle and Nico swings his sword back and forth.

I fall into step by his side. "So, what are you going to do after this?" I ask my friend softly.

He stops swinging his sword for a fraction of a second, then starts back again. "Do you mean after we get out of the Labyrinth or after the battle?"

I shrug. "Both, I guess." My eyes pierce the side of his face. "You're coming back to camp, right?"

Nico stays silent for several moments. His face screws up in a weird expression, as if he's trying to find the right words to let me down easily. "Probably not." Nico answers finally.

"Why not?" I exclaim, careful to keep my voice down to not disturb the others.

"A Son of Hades isn't exactly welcomed there."

"What are you talking about? Of course you will be welcomed. If I can show up and feel like I kind of belong, then you can to." I tell him sternly.

He shakes his head sadly. The strong boy suddenly looks as small as a mouse. "There isn't even a cabin for people like me." He replies quietly. "Where will I even stay?"

I fall silent. I have no idea how to respond. There isn't a cabin for any of Hade's children. It's horrible how I've never truly noticed that before and that nobody has said anything about it! No wonder Nico feels all alone. And without a cabin, where will he sleep? Or put his things? It's considered disrespectful to have a demigod to sleep in another cabin so I can't let him sleep in the Aphrodite cabin like I desperately want to. Maybe Chiron can find a room in the big house or something.

Rachel points in front of us. "The exit is right there!" She yells back.

Sure enough, about a hundred feet ahead, is the entrance that we came in. We push open the door and find ourselves in the basement of the hotel again. Without saying one word, we rush out into the streets. I sigh with relief. We're out, and I have no plan to ever go back in there again. From now on, I'm done with tunnels.

"Come on." Percy gestures towards a vacant alley. Annabeth, Nico, Rachel, and I curiously follow him. When we are away from people, Percy whistles loudly. Almost instantly a pegasus I remember as Blackjack and five others fly down next to us.

Rachel's eyes grow wide with delight. "They're absolutely gorgeous." One of the pegasi whinnies, which sounds like a thank you.

Blackjack looks at Percy, who starts talking to the pegasus. I guess it's a Son of Poseidon thing.

"But listen, Blackjack, we need a ride back to camp." Percy says after several minutes of conversation with the pegasus.

Blackjack looks towards one of his friends, who I remember is Guido. The pegasus's eyes flicker back and forth from Tyson to Guido.

Percy sighs. "Guido, don't be like that. We need you." Guido neighs. It sounds like he's complaining. And based on the increasing irritation on Percy's face, that's exactly what's happening. "Guido," Percy starts sternly, "do this please." Guido neighs again. Percy smacks his face with his hand. "Fine! When we get back, I'll make sure you get as many sugar cubes as you want." The pegasus jumps up in joy, which is weird to see a pegasus do.

Everyone gets on the pegasus.

"Hey, what was that about?" I whisper to Percy.

"Guido didn't want to carry Tyson." He answers. We look over at Guido. His legs buckle when Tyson gets on his back. Tyson smiles largely but Guido looks like he's being tortured.

I pet the nose of the pegasus I will be riding. I don't know its name. I don't spend a lot of time with the pegasi at camp. It bends into my hand like a cat. My mind flips back to when Poseidon let me ride his pegasus. That was so much fun. And I'm sure that every time I get on a pegasus, it will always feel like the first time.

I then notice that Rachel isn't getting on a pegasus. She rocks back and forth on her heels. "Well, this is it, then." She says, sounding disappointed. Mortals can't go into Camp Halfblood so she can't follow.

"Thank you." Percy says. "We couldn't have done it without you." The tips of Rachel's ears turn red.

The red-head shrugs indifferently. "It was by far the most interesting thing to happen this summer. I wouldn't have missed it except for, you know, almost dying and Pan…" Her voice trails off.

Percy's eyebrows come together. "Yeah… didn't he say something about your father? What was that about?"

Rachel's relaxed posture immediately stiffens. She kicks at an imaginary pebble on the ground. "My dad, he's… his job… he's a really famous businessman."

Percy's mouth forms an 'o' at a realization. "So _that's_ why the guy helped us and drove us around."

She nods. Her mouth forms a tight frown. "My father is a land developer. He… buys the wild. I absolutely hate it, but he plows it down to build up ugly buildings." Rachel takes in a shaky breath and looks like she's on the verge of crying. "And now that I've seen Pan… I…"

"Don't blame yourself." I tell her. "It's not your fault."

"I know, but you don't even know the worst of it." Rachel mumbles just loud enough for us to hear. "I don't like to talk about my family. I-I didn't want any of you to know. I'm sorry."

Percy shakes his head. "No, you did awesome. You led us through the maze, past traps and monsters. You were so brave. I don't know if I would've done it if I were you, and that's the only thing I'm going to judge you on. Not who your father is."

Rachel smiles gratefully. "Well, if you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again, you know how to find me."

Percy smirks. "On the street corner covered in gold paint."

"Exactly." Her smile falls slightly at the upcoming goodbye. "See you guys later. Make sure to save the world for me, okay?" Rachel turns and leaves the alley. Percy has an almost dazed look on his face. I look past him to see a stone-like Annabeth. Poor Annabeth. She turns away so that I can't see her face when she notices that I'm looking at her.

"Oh my gods, just stay still." Nico hisses. I turn around to see that he's not on his pegasus yet. It keeps shying away from him every time that he tries to mount on its back. Nico makes another attempt, but it backs away again. He throws his arms up in the air in frustration. "Just go without me! I didn't want to go back to camp anyways."

Percy's eyes widen. "But Nico, we need you." Nico's cheeks blush slightly, but he turns away looking angrier than before.

"Please, Nico. We really do need you." I say to him softly.

Nico's wall crumbles down slightly at my words. His shoulders fall. "Fine. But only for you, and I'm _not_ staying."

Percy turns towards the pegasus that won't let Nico on its back. "Now, come on. Let Nico on your back. We have to go." It makes a weird huffing sound, but Nico is able to get on its back without a fight. "Now, let's go." In unison, the pegasi leap into the air.

A giggle escapes my lips when we're high in the air. The people look like ants, and if I wanted to, I can reach out to touch a nearby building. My pegasus likes to show off because it swoops back and forth, trying to get as close to building as possible. Annabeth shoots us a disappointed glance, but other than that it's a blast. Suddenly it tips so far to the left that I nearly slide off its back.

"Don't fall off!" Nico calls out.

I laugh as the pegasus abruptly corrects itself to an upright position. "No promises!"

A couple of minutes later, we land in the middle of camp. Chiron and Silenus, one of the satyrs at the council, trot up to us. We dismount the pegasi who head back to the stables where other campers can use them if necessary.

"Kronos is using Luke's body and is leading an army here!" Percy gasps out.

Chiron's face is pure shock. "What do you mean that he is using Luke's body?"

"It's Kronos in Luke's body instead. He's more powerful than before. It's terrifying."

The centaur shakes his head. "I feared that something like this would happen. We must hurry. Most of our defenders are in place. Come quickly!"

Silenus holds up a hand. "Wait! What about the search for Pan." His beady eyes narrow on Grover. "You were gone for three weeks longer than you should've been! Grover Underwood, your searcher's license is officially revoked!" He growls.

For a second I expect Grover to just let Silenus talk to him like that, but he straightens up and stares the satyr in the eye. "Searcher's licenses don't matter anymore." Silenus's eyes grow wide with shock and anger. "The great Pan is dead. He has passed on, but left us his spirit."

Silenus goes through several stages of anger in matter of seconds. First is denial. He shakes his head vigorously, as if to shake away the idea of Pan being dead. Next is irritation with the satyr who dared to tell him that. Lastly is pure rage. His face turns a bright red like fire. "Sacrilege and lies!" He shrieks. "Grover Underwood, you are exiled for speaking such things! You-"

I grit my teeth. Who is he to yell at my friend like that? I jab a finger at his pudgy chest. The satyr takes a step back. "Shut up! It's true! We saw with our own eyes that Pan _is_ dead, so you better take back that exile!"

Annabeth pulls me back slightly. "Grover is telling the truth." She explains to the satyr much more calmly than I did.

The satyr has enough guts to point his fingers at us. "You are all liars! Nature-destroyers! Traitors!"

"Silenus!" Chiron cries out sternly. "My camp is under attack. We will talk about this later."

The satyr shakes his head. "No! We will speak of this now!"

"Later!" Silenus falls silent at the terrifying glare on Chiron's face. "Now, come along." Chiron trots towards the entrance of the Labyrinth. Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, Percy, and I do our best to follow, but it's sort of hard to be as fast as a centaur.

The camp is in a frenzy of weapons and armor. There is a table of spare armor, which I quickly suit myself up with. Annabeth leaves to join her own cabin. Out of the corner of my eye I see Clarisse waving me over towards the Ares Cabin, and a few other campers from different cabins, which had taking the front lines. I rush over to her with a spear in one hand, my knife in its sheath, and a look of pure determination.

"You're back." She states calmly.

"I am."

"Ava will be happy to see you're safe." Clarisse points towards her sister who is waving wildly from deep in the phalanx formation. I wave back. "Go get into formation, soldier."

I nod and get into the phalanx. Ava hands me a spare shield as I join in. I hold the long spear above my head in a similar way as the other campers. The front campers raise their shields and we come closer together to have a stronger phalanx. We are shoulder to shoulder, like one block. Nothing will get past us if we work together.

"Do not break formation!" Clarisse yells. "I repeat, do not break formation! If the phalanx breaks, then it will be useless! We must stick together!"

We yell back a muffled war chant. The anticipation of battle rushes through my veins. The part of me that has Ares blood in it aches with the excitement of war. My sword arm shakes with the hope of destroying the enemy. I glance around to see the members of the Ares cabin the same way.

The ground trembles with thousands of footsteps. The camp falls eerily quiet. Several seconds go by without a sound.

"Lock shields!" Clarisse yells right before a giant bursts through the entrance. The phalanx is no match for it, no matter how hard we try. It swings its club sending dozens of campers, me included, through the air. I land on my side painfully. My shoulder dislocates painfully.

"Gods, give us strength." I mutter. I grit my teeth as I force my arm back into place. Several more giants barrel towards the camp. The Hephaestus cabin sends a volley of Greek fire and rocks towards them, taking the giants down slowly.

"Ava?" I call out, knowing that she was hit with me. She lays about twenty feet away from. I rush towards her, but something is wrong. "Ava?" I whisper hopelessly as I shake her shoulder. No response. She was impaled by her own spear. My breath turns shaky and my grip on my knife turns death-like. "I'll kill them all." I promise to her dead body.

Ava won't smile anymore. She won't ever laugh with my anymore. They took away her life, so I'll be sure to send them back to Tartarus in the most painful way possible. All of the monsters will be dead before I surrender.

I turn around with rage coursing through my veins like flames. The second wave of monsters comes through the Labyrinth. Instead of giants, it's dozens of dracaenae. There isn't a moment of hesitation when I rush to meet them in battle.

The rest of the battle goes by in a blur. I vaguely remember Tyson riding a giant. My sword goes into the monsters one after the other. It is a repeated process that is so natural to me. Some part of me registers that Kampê flies over our heads and attacks some campers, but I'm too focused with my own miniature battles to pay attention. More than once I nearly get stabbed, but years of training guides me through unharmed.

I stab my sword through a telekhine. It falls into dust at my feet. Only a matter of seconds later another one comes up to me. It falls, but I didn't get a chance to attack it. I look up to see Silena with a sword in her hand. She gives me a nod and we go back to back, cutting through the monsters like butter.

Out of the corner of my eye I see a familiar giant fight with Kampê. "Briares!" I yell into the air. Briares winks at me from all the way across the battle field, somehow hearing me. With newfound vigor, Silena and I continue to fight stronger than before.

With a large boom, Briares kills Kampê. Every camper who is still alive cheers ecstatically before returning to the fight. Still, more monsters come through the Labyrinth. It's a never ending fountain of death. But if we don't fight, if _I_ don't fight, then Ava died for nothing. Then everyone died for nothing, and I will not let that happen.

Suddenly a horrible sound echoes throughout the camp. I turn my head towards the sound to see that it's coming from Grover, of all people. The enemies around us drop their weapons, to our surprise, and trample each other to get back into the Labyrinth first.

It's over. It's finally over.

For the first time since Ava died, I cry. Silena hugs me and whispers encouraging things in my ear. Ava died.

One of my best friends is dead, but at least the battle is over.


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry about Ava's death, but it had to happen! This is a major turning point in Rina's life where she really starts to mature and become the person she's meant to be. Ava's death was going to happen eventually, I thought that it might as well be quick and relatively painless. It was either this or Ava disappear like some other campers without anyone knowing why. :( So during this and the next few updates you will really see Rina mature and change for the better. She's going to become more self-aware and grow out of her childishness.**

**Also, I wasn't completely sure of the date that the Battle of the Labyrinth took place, so this update starts a week after the battle and lasts until the end of summer. Some of the 'one shots' will be longer than others. The next update will be from the end of summer to the beginning of the last book. Enjoy!**

**Nymeria Malfoy: Me desculpe se isso é errado. Acabei de colocar isso em Traduz Google. Talvez ;) Você vai ter que ler para descobrir.**

**ArticFox 319: I'm sorry! I didn't want to but it's an important part of Rina's character arch :( I promise that she'll make a comeback, though!**

**AgitatedDog9288: I know :(**

**Guest: Yes it is.**

**Outlandish Dreamer: I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make your heart break!**

**Hippodog: Thank you so much! Yeah, some really good OC stories don't get the credit that they deserve, which is really sad.**

* * *

><p><strong>June 30th<strong>

It had only been a couple of days, but everything is already back to normal. Or at least looks that way. The Apollo cabin is back to their archery lessons, the dryads are teasing the satyrs with promises of kisses and dates, and people are smiling again. Everyone except for those who lost someone special to them.

The Ares cabin is a crumbling mess after Ava and several other of their siblings' deaths. They try to hide it behind a shield of cruelness, but they fail miserably at fooling everyone. Their deaths only made the cabin more irritable than usual. Out of all of Camp Halfblood, they lost the most. Children of Ares are always the first on the front-line, each of them willing to fight with everything they have. Sometimes the other campers forget that the cabin hasn't fully acknowledge their loss and they say some nasty things. It hasn't even been a week and Sherman has broken someone's jaw after a scathing comment about how maybe Ares cabin isn't as good with weapons as they thought.

Annabeth and the Athena cabin are mourning the death of their brother. I feel guilty not even knowing his name. In fact, it was like nobody outside of the Athena cabin knew who he was. When his funeral pyre was burnt, Malcolm said some kind words but described his brother as shy. That must be why. Children of Athena are sometimes too involved with their books to be bothered with the outside world. But despite not knowing him, I'm thankful that he fought for Camp Halfblood's safety.

But one person is sadder than most. Poor Pollux is alone in his cabin now after his twin brother died in the battle. I haven't seen him come outside once. Not even for dinner, but I have a feeling that Dionysus is sneaking him food so that he doesn't waste away.

Ava death has hurt me worse than I originally thought. After the funeral, I felt numb, but it's coming at full force. She didn't even get to fight. One swipe from a giant and she was dead. Ava didn't have a chance to prove what a strong warrior she was. Unlike Pollux, I have been better at putting on a front. When Percy tells a horrible joke, I roll my eyes like usual. When Annabeth tries to explain something about architecture or something amazing on Daedalus's computer, I feign interest. And when Chiron watches me, I put on a smile.

The worst part is that camp is running normally. Things shouldn't feel normal. It cannot be without Ava and the others here. Did everyone forget the sacrifices they made?

I twiddle my knife in my hand, slowly making it larger then shorter. The cabin is empty. Thank the gods. Normally I have to escape to a secluded area by the lake but earlier I heard Drew talking about how they all needed to go boy-hunting. I pray to every one of the gods that my half-siblings don't get their claws around anyone. It always ends in a disaster, tears, and a little bit of blood. There's a reason that the Aphrodite cabin keeps sharp, long nails.

If Ava was here, she would make a comment about who they use boys like clothes: they never wear the same outfit more than once. Or maybe something about her rather fighting a hundred hellhounds at once instead of facing an angry child of Aphrodite.

Ava.

I quickly wipe away the tears under my eyes. Suddenly my knife looks especially intriguing. Maybe I could... Celestial bronze does hurt both monsters and demigods. The realization of what I'm thinking slaps me in the face. No. I won't. So I won't be tempted, I slip my knife into the chest by my bed. It's not like I will be needing it anytime soon.

"Knock knock."

I quickly sit up on my bed, hoping that my eyes aren't red from crying. In the doorway stands Hermes in his typical track suit. His face has a smile on it but it doesn't reach his eyes. He lost people he loved during the battle too.

"Hermes?" I question.

The god grins. "So, I see things have quieted down quite a bit since the battle." He comments casually. I flinch internally. Hermes smile falls. "So, how have you been, Rina?"

I shrug. "I'm fine."

His blue eyes narrow suspiciously. Hermes sits at the end of my bed. It shifts under his weight. "The three A's are worried about you. You did see some nasty things."

"The three A's?"

Hermes rolls his eyes. His smile changes to an annoyed scowl. "Athena, Aphrodite, and Apollo. Apollo _insists_ that everyone calls them the three A's." I genuinely smile for the first time since the battle. Apollo is an interesting god. Honestly it's not surprising. A package materializes in mid-air. With his god-like reflexes, Hermes catches it from falling on the cabin door. "Athena was quite adamant about me getting this to you."

I gently take the package in my hand. Something rattles inside of the box. "What is it?" I ask.

The god shrugs. "Not sure. It's against my policy to look into other people's packages. Plus, I hear it's a federal crime to open someone else's mail."

A small laugh escapes out of my mouth. It's weak and scrapes against my throat. "What are they going to do? Arrest a god?"

Hermes smirks. "I would like to see them try." He stands up slowly. "I have to be going. If I don't, I'll be late. There's always something to be delivered. Goodbye, Rina." He waves one last time before the air bends around him. It's like he was never here. Conversations with Hermes never last long. He always have things to do and places to be. Every time I talk to him, he's running late or about to be late, so we don't talk much. Even back when I lived on Olympus there was barely any time to say a word to the god.

I turn my attention back to the box. It's small, much too small for the usual stack of papers and textbooks that Athena occasionally sends me. One the top in neat handwriting it looks like someone tried to write 'From the Three A's', but it's half-written. Apollo probably wrote that only for Athena to yell at him. I open the book and my eyebrows furrow. It's a thin book, which is just like Athena, but it's not the typical book. The cover is of a man and woman hugging with a bolded sentence of "Grief and You" on the cover. The cheesiness is oozing through the pages. But knowing that the goddess would have my head if I didn't at least look at it, I turn to the table of contents.

_Chapter One: Addressing Your Loss  
>Chapter Two: The Five Stages of Grief<br>Chapter Three: How to Cope with that Grief.  
>Chapter Four: Final Steps to Acceptance<br>Chapter Five: You Are Not Alone_

It's a short book. I'll easily be able to finish it in an hour, so it wouldn't hurt to at least read it. It'll postpone when I have to finally get out of my cabin and face everyone with a smile that's so fake that it hurts. Athena would frown at me if she knew that I plan on using the book to avoid people, but luckily for me she can't read minds.

* * *

><p>About an hour and some tears later, I reach the fifth chapter. The only thing on the page is "<strong><em>You aren't alone<em>**" in large letters. The rest of it is blank. An idea abruptly appears in my head. Too many people in Camp Halfblood feel alone since the battle. _I_ feel alone even though I'm surrounded by people who care, but maybe I can do something about that. This book gives me the power to help people, and I will do just that.

I pick up a pen that someone dropped on the floor and print my name on the page underneath the large letters.

With a newfound vigor, I grab the book and bounce out of my cabin. My eyes find cabin twelve. He has to be in there. He hasn't come out since the battle. But then again, neither have I except for meals and when Percy physically drags me out. The other campers are busy with archery lessons or the new lake monster, so I don't have to dodge many people on my way to cabin twelve. I knock on the door. Several moments later, it opens only a crack.

"Pollux?" I call out.

The door opens a little more. I catch sight of his golden hair and violet eyes. "Rina, what're you doing here?" I slide the book through the crack in the door. He blinks once at the cover, then his eyes narrow. "Whatever you're doing—"

"Turn to chapter five." I command sternly.

"Rina—"

"Just turn to the chapter, Pollux!"

The Son of Dionysus nervously turns the pages. His eyes widen at the sight.

"Too many people are feeling like they're alone right now." I say slowly. "I was thinking that we pass this book around camp. Gods know that some people need to be reminded that they are not alone. And when they're done reading in it, they sign their name in it so other campers know to come to them if they ever want to talk."

Pollux falls silent for several long moments. It isn't until I hear a sniffle that I realize that he's crying. "You lost your friend." He states quietly. It isn't a question. Everyone knows who died.

I nod. "Ava." Just saying her name is a punch to the gut.

"Does the book get rid of the pain?"

"No, but it helps." I answer. My eyes fall to the floor. "I don't think the pain will ever leave, it's just a matter of coping. The book helps with that."

Pollux opens the door wider. His hair is greasy from several days without a shower, his eyes are red, and he's wearing the same clothes he was wearing at the battle about a week ago. The Son of Dionysus pulls me into a large hug. "Thank you. I'll make sure some of the younger campers read this."

"Good." I answer, feeling tears in my own eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>July 2nd<strong>

Annabeth twirls her golden hair up into a bun. Her steel eyes narrow in concentration. "Okay, here's our plan. It's extra windy today, so it will be more difficult heading back towards camp. We will save our stamina until then. I will steer the canoe slightly so that the wind acts in our favor. If I am correct, then we will be back just in time for our session on the climbing wall." She says in a voice reserved for generals of armies.

I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. "We're just canoeing around the lake, not becoming the president."

"No," Annabeth throws me a lifejacket, "we're not 'just canoeing'. We're training. It builds up our upper body strength which is very important in hand to hand combat."

I slip on the lifejacket that she pelted me with. My eyebrows come together in confusion. "I know that Chiron has been increasing our training lately, but why are we the only ones canoeing around the lake if it's so good for our upper body strength."

She frowns. "We aren't the only ones. Clarisse and Percy will be heading out onto the lake soon. Plus, some of the naiads have been complaining about someone throwing wrappers into the lake."

"So, we're on garbage duty." I correct.

Annabeth shakes her head. "Not garbage duty; we're training."

Suddenly her words come crashing down on me like a waterfall of pure horror. My mouth falls open in shock. "_Clarisse and Percy_?"

The Daughter of Athena nods solemnly. "Yes."

"And they're doing it _willingly_?" I gape.

She thinks for several moments. "Well, no. Chiron ordered them to work together."

"Has he gone senile? After all these centuries has he finally lost his mind?" I exclaim. Annabeth hands me a paddle, which I reluctantly take.

"Trust me, nobody likes this arrangement. Percy has been whining all morning. I'm surprised that you didn't hear him; I thought he would never stop." Annabeth responds. "But Chiron's reasoning is that the two will be unstoppable if they learn to work together, and we need something unstoppable."

I shake my head. "They're going to murder each other."

Together we pull a canoe up to the bank of the lake. With a little more effort, we slip it in the lake and are calmly paddling along. Several naiads wave at us from the bottom of the lake but they don't float up to say hello. Sometimes when we went out on the lake, they would come up and talk to Ava for hours. She was one of their favorites to talk to, except for Percy, of course. All the naiads favor the Son of Poseidon.

My mind flips back to the book Athena gave to me. _It is important to look after your physical health in a time of grief. Exercise and eating right is a great way to cope with your lose. Natural endorphins released during exercise will improve your mood. Avoid alcohol, drugs, and other depressants._

Exercise. Ava would want me to exercise if it helps, and canoeing is sort of an exercise.

Annabeth pauses paddling for a second. She dips down to pick up a floating wrapper in the waves. The frown on her face is so strong that it looks like she ate something incredibly disgusting. The naiads shake their heads sadly at the litter. Its terrible that people would willingly litter when they know that where they litter is someone's home.

I lean over the edge of the canoe to get a better look at them. "Don't worry, we'll find out who's littering." The naiads giggle and smile in response.

Annabeth gestures over to the bank of the shore. "Look who it is."

On the beach are Clarisse and Percy. They're oddly silent. Normally they can't be in each other's presence for more than a few minutes before bursting out into a fight. The only times the two put aside their differences (for the most part, anyways) is when there is danger. It actually seems like they're working together for once. Clarisse turns the canoe at the back while Percy uses his abilities to move the water. They move about as fast as a small motor boat. And when they come up to us, they nearly tip Annabeth and my canoe over with their waves.

"Watch it, seaweed brain." Annabeth mumbles as we bob side to side. Her cheeks are bright red, and it isn't from being out in the sun for so long. I grip the sides of the canoe. Together we lean the opposite way so that we stay steady. Neither of us want to take an unexpected swim.

Percy blushes slightly. "Sorry. I didn't think it would make that big of a wave." He apologizes awkwardly.

Annabeth and Percy continue to dance around each other with short sentences and blushes. It's all been the same since the battle. Each of them are burning to say something, but too scared to say it. It takes a lot of strength not to burst out yelling that they both like each other and should kiss.

"So, 'you're not alone', huh?" Clarisse says while Annabeth and Percy converse.

I raise an eyebrow. "You read the book?" The Children of Ares seem more like a suck it up and don't talk about type, which according to the book is very unhealthy. But that normally is the mentality of those campers. It may be slightly stereotypical, but I have yet to see someone from the Ares cabin be open with their emotions.

She shakes her head. "No. I didn't need to, but my little brother is having a hard time." Her eyes soften slightly at the mention of her sibling. "You started something good."

I smile. "I'm glad I did."

Clarisse opens her mouth to say something else, but a burst of water stops her. Her face scrunches into a scowl, and for a moment I thought that the water will boil off of her. Whoever splashed her is going to be skinned alive. The Daughter of Ares's eyes zero in on none other than Percy Jackson.

The demigod blanches under her glare. "Clarisse, I—"

"You're dead, Jackson!" Clarisse snarls. She lunges towards him with pure rage. The last time I saw her this angry was when I was in the Labyrinth with her. There is no doubt in my mind that she will kill Percy. He's a dead man. And Percy knows this too. So, he does the most logical thing: he jumps out of the canoe.

"Clarisse, calm down!" Annabeth commands. Her hand reaches for her knife. If Clarisse tries to fight Percy, Annabeth will be on his side. Everyone here is my friend. Whose side will I be on if things go down the gutter?

She whips around to face Annabeth. "I have put up with him for too long! This is it!" She screeches. The tendons in her neck stick out in her fury.

"You've only been with him for five minutes!"

"Five minutes too long!" She responds viscously.

Clarisse peers over the edge of the canoe. Percy sits fearfully on the bottom of the lake. The naiads pet him soothingly; they always had a thing for Sons of Poseidon. Out of the corner of my eye, Annabeth clenches her fists. Clarisse grabs her spear from the bottom of her canoe. Some of the monsters in the lake still need to be taken care of, so it is always wise for a camper to bring weapons wherever they go. But I've seen her spear fish. She has deadly accuracy.

I easily hop into her canoe. She bares her teeth at me, as if to dare me from stopping her attack on Percy. "Don't do it, Clarisse." I warn.

She scoffs at me. Suddenly Clarisse is back to being the arrogant girl the I first met. "Or what? It's not like you can stop me."

"In case you've forgotten, I'm able to beat you in a sword-fight. Come on. Just be the mature one." I try to reason. Clarisse raises her spear. "You're better than this!" I try as a last chance to stop her from making a Percy-kabob.

"Clarisse, don't you dare!" Annabeth threatens. Her grey eyes narrow dangerously. If Clarisse does throw her spear, she will have to feel Annabeth's rage —which is something that nobody should have to endure. "Obviously it was one of the naiads who did it. Percy was in my line of sight the entire time. He didn't do it, with or without his abilities! It had to be one of the naiads. You know that they like to cause trouble."

The Daughter of Ares grits her teeth, but she listens to the wise words. "I trust your word, Annabeth. If you're lying to me..."

"Why would I lie to you?"

Clarisse rolls her eyes. "So I don't skewer your boyfriend."

The effect of Clarisse's words are immediate. Annabeth's glances away quickly and her cheeks turn cherry red. She looks like she wants to fold into herself until she disappears. "He's not... he... it's not... no..."

Annabeth doesn't need to explain herself because Clarisse backs down. She angrily sits back on the canoe. "Fine, I won't kill him." Clarisse tells us with anger lacing her voice. "Today."

* * *

><p><strong>July 4th<strong>

Chiron's plan for making Clarisse and Percy friends is failing miserably, and I think he's finally realizing that. The poor centaur, who is currently restricted to his wheelchair because of several broken legs, has to constantly be a mediator in their legendary fights. Ever since the canoe incident, they have managed to set fire to the strawberry fields, singe several campers with Clarisse's electric spear, and tramped a number of flowerbeds by the Demeter cabin. Suffice to say, Chiron's plan is a failure, but he isn't done trying.

"Chiron, do you really think this is a good idea to have them so close to fire?" I ask cautiously. "Especially after the strawberry incident?"

The centaur smiles. I can barely see his face in the dark. "Don't worry, Rina. I know what I'm doing."

My face falls into a deep frown. Had he already forgotten everything that happened? You would think that after the strawberry fields, they wouldn't be allowed near a match without proper supervision. "But, Chiron—"

"Those two are like oil and water: they don't mix. There is one thing that they will work together for, though." Chiron continues. "And that thing is the safety of the camp. I think they will be just fine as long as they're working for the same cause."

Clarisse and Percy have been given the wonderful job of making sure the campers don't get too close to the fireworks. The fireworks have been known to malfunction and anyone close by usually gets hurt when that happens. Together, though, the two are a wall. If a camper tries to sneak past them, either Percy or Clarisse will yell at them until they get back to a safe distant. For once they're yelling together instead of at each other.

"Everything will be just fine." Chiron continues, maybe to convince me or himself. "You should find a spot. The fireworks will begin at any minute now." He advises.

I leave the centaur behind on the porch of the Big House. Small pods of campers litter the grass. Annabeth is probably with her siblings. Silena is across the clearing with Drew and Charlie. Out of habit, I look for Ava until realizing that she'll never see another fourth of July. She would've liked this.

Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder. I whip around, prepared for a fight but stop when I see who it is.

"Hey." Nico says quietly.

My lips curl into a large smile. I give him a tight, but short hug. "Hey! I haven't seen you since the battle. You just... left."

He shuffles his feet in the grass. Nico's cheeks are a dull pink. "I couldn't stay here."

"I wanted you to stay" I reply. Gods know that I needed a friend when Ava died. Annabeth, Percy, Silena, and Clarisse were there for me, but they moved on too quickly from the battle. Somehow they are able to push it to the back of their minds and just assume that everyone else can do the same. Maybe Nico would've understood if I told him how I couldn't just move on like everyone else. He is the Son of Hades afterall. He's supposed to understand things like death. That and he has experience with grief after his sister's death.

He looks away. "I actually came back to ask you a favor."

I raise an eyebrow. "What favor?"

"I—"

Suddenly the fireworks go off, blasting into the sky in a shower of sparks and colors. The Hephaestus cabin have been working on the fireworks all week, and it has paid off. The blasts of color form different pictures, some silly and others honoring the fallen. Camp Halfblood echoes with thunderous claps of sound. It's gorgeous.

Nico makes a moving motion with his hand as if to say that he'll talk to me later. Together we watch the fireworks and there's no more worries.

* * *

><p><strong>July 10th<strong>

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

I tighten the strap to my purse nervously. Somewhere in its depths is my sword, which Nico had convinced me that it would be best to keep it hidden. Apparently the dead get more nervous than usual around celestial bronze.

Nico half-smiles wearily in front of the dark mausoleum building that serves its purpose as a library of information in the Underworld. "Gods know that I need your help with this." He starts to walk up the steps. I quickly follow.

I scoff at him. "I don't understand why you wouldn't do this yourself."

His hair flops around his face when he turns to look at me. Nico really needs a haircut. Or maybe he doesn't. Long hair does suit him. Somehow Nico makes the messy, untamed hairstyle look attractive. "The Underworld isn't known for its organized filing cabinets. It would take hours without your help."

Nico pushes open the large door. The entire building is covered in bookcases of old scrolls the closest to the door and typed manuscripts in the back. You can see the changing times from the type of papers used. But Nico is right, it would take too much time looking through everything himself. In the middle of the building is a woman wearing all leather. Black wings sprout out from her back. The glint of a metal hand is visible from where I am standing. She doesn't have to turn around for me to know who she is: Mesperyian, goddess of torture and punishment. But why is she here and not in the fields of punishment?

"She used to come here before... you know... so she likes to come here sometimes." Nico hisses at me so that Mesperyian doesn't hear. Nobody can know what sort of fury she would bring if she heard him.

My hand tightens on the strap of my purse. This might get ugly very quickly.

Mesperyian turns around. She wears a silver mask with horns sticking out of the top. It's something out of a nightmare. There is no remnant of the sweet woman she used to be. Underneath that mask is burnt flesh. We can smell it, but we don't dare say anything. "Nico, it's a pleasure to see you again." She croaks. Her voice sounds like the goddess desperately needs to cough.

He bows his head and I do the same. "Lady Mesperyian, this is my friend. Rina, a camper in Camp Halfblood." I breathe out a sigh of relief. Nico's smart enough not to call me the Daughter of Aphrodite. Many centuries ago, Aphrodite burned Mesperyian's body in a fit of jealous rage. Not only did Aphrodite take away Mesperyian's legendary beauty, she turned the goddess into a cold creature constantly seeking to punish those deserving it. Aphrodite essentially destroyed this woman's wonderful life.

Her beady eyes narrow slightly at me, but she doesn't pay much attention. Her claw curls around a scroll. "Does father know you're looking for her?"

"I'm not looking for her. I'm just looking for answers." Nico corrects.

Mesperyian cackles softly. "Ahh, but when looking for answers, you will find her in the process. So in turn, you _are_ looking for her." For a second her harsh eyes soften at the Son of Hades. It only makes sense for the rough goddess to have a soft spot for other children of Hades. "I will not stand in your way for your quest of knowledge. But be warned that father will be very displeased if he finds out." With a strong flap of her wings, she perches on a ledge high above our heads with a pile of scrolls and papers. I can faintly hear her mumble out the names of the dead.

Nico immediately takes the lead deep into the building. He stops in front of a shelf. "We can start here." He announces.

"Do you know when she died?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "I know that it was during World War II, but that's it." I sigh. There could be thousands of shelves with names from the dead during the time period. All I know is that this will take hours to do.

I should've said no when he asked for the favor.

* * *

><p>I groan in irritation. "I have found a Maiah Di Angelo, Maria Decantio, and a million other names that are close. But we still haven't found <em>the<em> Maria Di Angelo."

Nico rubs his eyes with his hands. "Maybe we can come back another day. I... can't take much more of this."

Behind us is a loud rustle of feathers. "Maria Di Angelo died in 1941. With Hades's influence, she managed to move on into the Isle of the Blessed. Her death was caused by none other than Zeus." Mesperyian lets out a humph. "That is one person I would like to serve justice to." She hisses under her breath. The goddess hands a sheet of paper to Nico. He soaks it in with wide, brown eyes.

"You had this the whole time?" I exclaim, angry that we spent the last few hours for nothing.

The goddess nods. "Of course. I know where ever name is in this library, so of course I retrieved it when I heard you looking for her."

Nico folds the paper and puts it in his jacket pocket. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"You didn't ask." She answers simply. Mesperyian nods at both of us. "Goodbye, Nico and Rina, Daughter of Aphrodite." Once again, the goddess flies away.

My mouth falls open in shock. "She knew the whole time. Why didn't she try to attack me or something?"

Nico doesn't look as surprised. "Mesperyian doesn't like giving out punishment when it's not due, so that's probably why she did't do anything. Plus it's pretty obvious who your mother is." I tilt my head to the side in confusion. His cheeks light up like two red christmas lights. "I mean.. it's because you're pretty...and... ah Aphrodite is known for being... pretty."

My stomach fills with butterflies. Maybe it's because I'm not complemented that often. Yeah, that's it. "Let's just get out of here. I don't want to stay in the Underworld longer than I have to."

* * *

><p><strong>July 15th<strong>

Percy and I have made a game to see how many crazy things we can do without Annabeth noticing. I scoop some peanut butter with my finger and add the finishing touches to Percy's face.

"Finally. It is done." I announce. We sneak a peek at Annabeth. Her eyes are still glued to the laptop Daedalus gave her. She doesn't even notice Percy's 'war paint' made out of peanut butter and jelly.

Percy leans forward across the table so that his face is right behind the computer screen. "Hey! Annabeth! I've been poisoned and will die in a minute!" He cries out. Several other campers give us a weird look.

"I'll eat something later, don't worry." Annabeth mumbles robotically. It's always that or 'sounds good' or 'that's funny Percy'. Annabeth likes to rotate through those three sentences. She twiddles a never-ending ink pen, that we gave her for her birthday three days ago, between her fingers. Then she scratches several numbers that must be important to her before clicking on the computer again.

I shake my head. "Come on, Percy. Let's see if we can find some snaps in the Hephaestus cabin. Maybe that'll get her to look up for once."

* * *

><p><strong>July 20th<strong>

Silena and I crouch down behind a rock. Across the clearing are five campers guarding the flag. Normally there are less than that, but they're switching up their plan, just like our team is. Both teams playing defense will make for a very boring game of Capture the Flag.

"There's too many for us to just run down there." Silena observes. She loosens her hold on her sword. "Should we go back and get more people?"

I shake my head. "No. They're playing especially hard this year. We need as much defense as possible."

"But we can't get the flag without more people. Armor is hard to sneak in and the flag is in a clearing. They will see us before we get any closer." Silena pauses. Her mouth suddenly curls into a smirk. "I can't believe we didn't think of that before." She gasps out.

"What?" I ask quietly.

Silena turns to me with an excited look on her face. It reminds me of how Ava always got excited over the little things. "Charlie was telling me about how they were planning to make a saddle for Mrs. O'Leary, so that people can ride her into battle." Silena grabs my arm. Her eyes sparkle dangerously. "Let's ride her into battle."

* * *

><p>After a good five minutes of sneaking out of the woods, we find ourselves in front of Mrs. O'Leary. The hellhound wags her tail enthusiastically, as if she already knows what we plan and she's just as excited about it as we are.<p>

I pat her. My blood is already pumping. This will be fun. Silena hops on Mrs. O'Leary's back behind me.

"Let's go capture a flag!" I yell out happily.

Mrs. O'Leary yips then bounds into the woods. She runs so fast that the trees blend into one mess of brown and green. The only way I know that Silena hasn't fallen off the hellhound's back is her death grip on my waist. And the only reason that I haven't fallen off is because of her new collar. Thank the gods and the Hephaestus cabin.

"That way!" Silena yells, pointing to the left. Mrs. O'Leary follows her command.

Jumping over boulders and narrowly missing trees, we somehow make it to the clearing. A camper attempts to shoot us with an arrow but Silena blocks it with her shield. Everyone else is too dazed by the hellhound to do anything but stare. I bend down and pick up the flag.

"GO MRS. O'LEARY!" I scream. The other team is just getting themselves together. They advance on us with their swords drawn. Mrs. O'Leary simply jumps over them. Silena screams in my ear the entire time we dash through the woods. Her grip tightens so hard that she's turning my internal organs to mush.

"GODS, KEEP US SAFE!" Silena prays loudly.

With one last jump, we bound over the river across the border. Mrs. O'Leary stops. She pants several times before sitting down. Silena, the flag, and I roll clumsily off her back.

"Why did I think that was a good idea?" Silena covers her face with her hands.

I grin. "But we got the flag! We won!" I hold up the flag in triumph. "Again!"

* * *

><p><strong>August 1st<strong>

Annabeth suddenly freezes. Her grey eyes widen as big as the moon. "Oh. My. Gods."

I take the apple out of my mouth. "What?" She turns my head with her hand in the direction she's looking. There, sitting on the grass, is Silena and Clarisse. Silena cheerfully braids Clarisse's hair, who oddly enough isn't against it. She seems more concentrated on whatever is coming out of Silena's mouth. Her face is scrunched up and it appears like she's memorizing every word.

Annabeth's tilts her head curiously. "I thought they hated each other." She comments.

"I thought so too." I reply.

Silena's head shoots up. She eagerly waves me over. Annabeth raises an eyebrow but stays silent. I walk cautiously over to the pair. They're like two elements that react horribly when combined. If I'm too close, I will be engulfed in the explosion. Clarisse and Silena have never gotten along. Never. I can vividly remember more than a few times where some horrible insults where thrown at each other.

Silena gestures towards Clarisse's braided hair. "What do you think?"

"It looks... nice." I answer carefully. Silena is content with my answer. I scratch my nose. "Are you guys friends now?"

"Yes!" Silena answers. I look to Clarisse for confirmation. The Daughter of Ares nods in agreement.

"But I thought you two didn't like each other."

Clarisse tilts her head thoughtfully, earning her a smack from my sister for moving while she is braiding Clarisse's hair. "Honestly, I hated Silena until I realized how much we have in common."

Something is wrong. They have to be brain-damaged or drugged... or something! Is someone paying them to be friends? Are they being threatened?

"In common? What do you possibly have in common?" I ask in the nicest way possible.

Silena smiles. "We both like boys, having our hair up in ponytails, and we care about our siblings." She shrugs. "What more does there have to be? Plus, she isn't as bad as I thought she was."

"Ditto." Clarisse says. "Thanks for helping me with my..." Her eyes flicker towards me but continues anyways, "boy problems."

"You're welcome!"

Has the world gone insane? Well, maybe it's good that they're getting along. The two have the potential to be great friends or great enemies. If they're getting along, then I should be grateful.

No, I won't question it.

* * *

><p><strong>August 16th<strong>

The end of the summer is finally here. I already signed up to stay year round, just so I'm not accidentally eaten by the cleaning harpies. Silena left a while ago for her grandparents' farm. She and almost all of the camp. It's so empty, like when I first arrived. Annabeth and Percy just left. They both invited me to visit them sometime; Annabeth even wanted me to go to a private school by her father's house with her. But my place is at Camp Halfblood, for now.

Nico hasn't been back in over a month. He doesn't Iris message me as much. I suppose he's busy searching for any information he can about his mother, Maria Di Angelo. It's been his obsession the entire summer. He doesn't talk about it, but I know he has been constantly thinking about Bianca and his mother. Just like Clarisse and me, Nico hasn't completely gotten over the events of the Labyrinth. It sticks to you like a disease.

"Your friend Annabeth has a lot of nerve to speak to me in such a way." A snide voice says.

I turn around in surprise. Nobody was in the cabin a moment ago. To my surprise, it's Hera. Her long white robes, glowing aura, and curled brown hair makes it look like she stepped right out of Ancient Greece. My throat constricts. Normally I would run and hug her, but the Labyrinth has changed my opinion of her. _She only likes perfect families._

Hera raises her nose proudly in the air. "I simply appeared to her to congratulate her and she _attacks_ me with her words." She takes a step forward with grace reserved for queens. "You are to never speak to Annabeth again."

I ground my teeth together. My Ares-like stubbornness takes over. "No."

Her eyebrows raise in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"No. Annabeth is my friend. You cannot tell me not to speak to her." I tell her confidently.

Hera takes a demanding step forward, but I hold strong. I am my father's daughter, afterall. "Aikarina," Hera warns, "you do not have the right to refuse my commands."

Somehow this makes me even more angry than before. And when I'm angry, I turn reckless. I jab a finger towards the goddess. "No. You may be the queen of the heavens, but I am still my own person. The only person who can make decisions for me is me. Annabeth is my friend."

"And I am Hera, Queen of the Heavens, Wife of Zeus, and your goddess! She is not family." Hera narrows her eyes at me. "But _I_ am. Listen to me, Rina. She is an influence I do not wish on you. You are a growing girl. The wrong people will turn you into something you shouldn't be."

My fingernails dig into my palm. "You are not my family!" I cry out in rage. Hera's eyes widen in surprise. "I don't fit into your perfect mold. I never have and I never will. You voted for me to live, but you wouldn't have cared if I died, would you?" Tears blur my vision, but I can still make out the growing anger of the goddess. This could very well be the day that I die for good. Or get turned into a frog. Either one.

Hera towers over me. "I am willing to blame this on the side that was Ares. This will be overlooked if you close your mouth and obey." Her voice is the epitome of restrained control.

"No!" My head shakes wildly. "You killed my father, didn't you? Everyone was just fine with him until _you_ made it a problem! Tyler didn't fit into your vision of perfect family, so you got rid of him. I didn't fit into your vision, so you got rid of me!" I take a step back. "I will not be bullied into silence. I am one person you will not be able to get rid of."

The goddess's eyes flash a bright red. "You will regret your words, Aikarina. I want you to be aware of that" She says before dissolving into thin air.

What have I just done?

Suddenly someone knocks on the door. Travis Stoll sticks his head in. "Hey, Rina, wanna go break into Chiron's shampoo supply and put hair dye in it?" He offers.

I falter. Hera can wait. Right now, I'll have fun with my friends. She won't control my life any longer.

"Let's go!"


	27. Chapter 27

**So it has been a while, huh? I have been infected with a strong case of writer's block for this story, so I'm incredibly sorry. Next update will be the start of The Last Olympian!**

**Stellar Nymph: No, it's okay. Everyone has different feelings about different characters, so I don't think you're heartless for not being affected by Ava's death. Sorry for wait haha. I have been having trouble finding a good direction to put this story in and no. I don't read the Kane chronicles (I might some time in the future, though) and I'm not sure where I can bring in Harry Potter. It's a really good idea that I'll keep in mind, though!**

**Guest: Oh no is right.**

**Outlandish Dreamer: I'm glad that you enjoyed it :)**

**Guest: I'm so happy that you think so! Thank you so much! I have to admit that you're review is what motivated me to push through my writer's block to finish this chapter, so thank you for that!**

* * *

><p><strong>September 30th<strong>

I pull the hood further over my head. There's nothing scarier than being a child of the gods in a crowded are with no escape. The mist makes people see things weird. So if a monster does attack me, then who knows what the crowd will see.

I tap my knuckle on the window in a sequence that was predetermined on the car ride here.

The window scrolls down. Percy peers out into the crowd from behind his dark sunglasses and lowered hood. "Is it clear?" He asks with a low voice. I think he's trying to imitate a spy or something. In some ways this is a secret, dangerous mission. Chiron doesn't know I left camp and we could be killed at any moment.

I lean against the side of the car. "Maybe. I don't see anything, but you can never be too sure."

Percy narrows his eyes when someone walks too us. "Alright, it's go time."

Annabeth sighs from the backseat. "Percy, you're acting ridiculous." The Daughter of Athena casts me a serious look. "Will we be protected in the store?"

"Absolutely. Nothing that she doesn't want in doesn't get in. We'll be fine."

"And are you sure that it's not one of those demigod traps?" Annabeth interrogates.

I roll my eyes. It's like she thinks that I don't know what I'm doing. "Of course it's safe. Bethany is unable to hurt a fly."

She purses her lips. Percy opens the door merrily. Though his cheer is less an excitement to see Bethany than to get Sally off his back. She has been asking him to get a suit for days now. It wasn't until Annabeth flew in from San Francisco that he realized how close to the wedding it is.

"Come on, Annabeth. I trust Rina. I'm sure it's fine," Percy reassures her.

Annabeth frowns. "I trust her too. I just don't trust this Bethany that I keep hearing about."

"She sounds nice."

"She sounds dangerous!"

"How does she sound dangerous?"

"Rina told us that she attacked her with a coat hanger!"

I clear my throat to keep them from arguing back and forth. "To be fair, she thought I was a burglar," I defend. "Let's just go before it closes. Once that happens, I can guarantee that Bethany won't help us."

* * *

><p>Annabeth and Percy look around in shock at the clothing store named <em>Aphrodite's Nook<em>. An enormous glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Each crystal is hand-made, as Bethany loves to point out. There are hundreds of mannequins wearing dresses and suits. When we pass by, it morphs into the same shape as the body of the person who is closest to it. The floor is a reflective tile like a mirror. Everything in the store reeks of perfume and rose petals. On the far wall are pictures of Bethany hugging other children of Aphrodite. I'm sure that my picture is somewhere on the wall too.

"Welcome!" Bethany shouts into a microphone. We flinch in surprise. "All fellow Children of Aphrodite get a discounted price, every day at any time! Free makeovers are available to _any_ paying customer. And don't forget that all body lotions are half-off today only!" Bethany hops down from the pedestal and skips over to us. I only makes out a flash of dark skin and strips of dyed hair before she engulfs me in an enormous hug.

"Oh, Rina! I haven't seen you in a week!" Bethany cries out. "I was beginning to worry, since you left so quickly."

I smile sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not one for makeovers."

Bethany's dark eyes widen with surprise at the sight of my two friends. She must not get a lot of visitors. "You didn't tell me that you were bringing friends!" She squeals with joy.

"We really need your help," I tell her. "We need clothes for Percy's mother's wedding"

My newly-made-goddess-half-sister looks each of us up and down with scrutiny. Her brown eyes move at a rapid speed with deliberation. She claps her hands twice. A dove swoops down from the ceiling. Annabeth and Percy flinch. The bird drops a small notepad into her hands.

"I can work with this," she informs us with confidence. Bethany tilts her head thoughtfully at Percy. "How about a blue sparkled tuxedo? The blue sparkles will go well with your eyes and skin tone. Oh! I know! Perhaps I can sew a couple of gems—"

Percy blanches. "Ehh, Bethany, I'm not a gem or sparkle kind of guy."

Her mouth twists into a distasteful scowl. "Oh course you aren't, just like every other guy that shows up at this store. When sparkle suits go into fashion, _then_ everyone will realize that I was right." Bethany's pen scribbles out several notes that she made. The goddess's excitement has significantly died down at Percy's refusal to wear a blue sparkled tuxedo. "I have some pre-made suits in the back. Come on."

* * *

><p>Percy turns in the mirror. "Does this make my butt look big?" Annabeth reddens several shades. The poor girl looks away, feigning interest in the paintings on the wall.<p>

My half-sister's face lights up with pride. "No. In fact, nobody's butt will ever look big in those pants. It's a wonder what sewing with the mist can do for clothing."

Annabeth's head jerks up. "How can you sew with the mist?"

Bethany puts a finger to her lips. "It's a goddess's secret." She points towards me. "Rina, I trust you can find your own dress."

I smile, remembering the way the clothes spoke to me when I first came here.

Bethany grabs Annabeth's wrist. "Come on, girl. I will find you a beautiful dress to wear, even if it means sewing one from scratch!" The Daughter of Athena casts one last look of hopelessness before she disappears behind a rack of clothes.

"Let's go," I say to Percy. Before I dive into the racks of dresses, I pause. "Please don't touch me when I'm in... the zone."

His eyebrows come together in confusion. "_The zone_? What exactly is 'the zone'?" Percy asks.

I shake my head. He'll see soon enough.

My eyelids flutter closed. The fabrics of the clothes whisper to me. With each brush of my fingers, I can almost make out their words. Dresses rush by, none of them particularly speaking out to me. There's a muffled sound coming from Percy's mouth, but I don't hear it over the calls of the dresses. One benefit of being a Daughter of Aphrodite is that the clothes that fit just right beg to be worn by us. It makes clothes shopping so easy that it's effortless.

The pads of my fingers pass over a silky dress. I pause, then move forward. That one isn't quite right.

I reach the end of the rack in what feels like seconds but must likely has been a long time. With my eyes still closed, I move to the next set of dresses. Then the next after that. Then the next.

"Can you just choose one?" Percy whines. "You're not even looking at the dresses!"

I whirl around to look at him, purple hair flying everywhere. "Are you a Child of Aphrodite?"

His green eyes widen. "...No."

"Then shut up. I know what I'm doing," I reply snidely.

Once again, I skim my fingers along the edge of the dresses. My finger lands on a light pink dress. Normally that's a big no-no. A pink dress with purple hair seem to clash worse than orange and blue. But something about it shrieks 'me'. I remove it from the rack. The end reaches just above my knees and it's sleeveless. Perfect. All I need is for Bethany to sew some place where I can keep my sword.

Bethany comes around the corner, towing a bashful Annabeth. Percy's eyes grow larger at the sight of our camp-mate. Bethany brought her best effort today. Annabeth fits snugly into a white, sweetheart neckline dress. She sways the end of the dress between two clammy hands.

"What do you guys think?"

"You look really good," Percy blurts out.

I nod. "Yeah, you do! You will be getting all the boys' numbers at the wedding." I tease. Both Percy and Annabeth's faces light up a dull pink.

* * *

><p><strong>October 4th<strong>

"Do you—"

"Stop."

"But what if—"

"_Stop_."

"There are—"

"Rina, stop!" Nico cries out.

The familiar weight of my sword in a holster attached to my thigh is the only thing keeping me from completely freaking out. "There's so many of us here, though! All these Children of the Gods are bound to attract something!"

"There's only four of us." Nico reasons.

I scoff at him. "Two demigods in one place is too many. Not to mention that I'm here and two children of the big three..." I chew on my lip. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come with me."

Nico rolls his eyes. "I wanted to come. Stop being so negative." I almost laugh at the irony. Nico is one of the most negative people I know. He stares somewhere over my shoulder. His mouth falls open with shock. "Is... is that Aphrodite?"

"What!" I jolt in my seat. Sure enough Aphrodite is congratulating Sally and Paul on their wedding. Oddly enough her face changes, becoming more beautiful by the second. "I'll be right back."

I walk towards her with determination. Why is she here? What does she want? She's always been a fan of weddings, but I doubt that she came here to see a couple exchange rings.

Aphrodite grins when I arrive by the couple. "There she is!" Her red-painted lips curl into a snarl of distaste of my hair. "I almost forgot how those Sons of Hermes dyed your hair that _awful _color."

My hands touch my hair self-consciously. Even the most confident person can't help feeling bad at something Aphrodite doesn't approve of. "I like this color. It's unique."

Sally nods with reassurance. "That's true. Not many people have purple hair."

"And there's a very good reason more people don't dye their hair this color." Aphrodite replies with an air of elegance. The goddess places her hand on my hair. Slowly the purple dissolves to reveal the blonde hair I was born with. "Better. You're a pretty blonde." The goddess smooths out her dress. She almost seems nervous, but that's impossible. Aphrodite doesn't get nervous. She gestures towards a table. "Can we talk?"

I nod numbly. "Sure."

As we walk away I faintly hear Paul ask Sally if that was _the_ Aphrodite. His wife only swats him and teasingly accuses him of looking at another woman.

I sit across the table from my birth-mother. She smiles. Her face continues to morph. Aphrodite notices me staring because she places her hand by her face like she's presenting a piece of art.

"Do you like it? I came up with this idea earlier this year. Instead of constantly changing my face, it changes to be as beautiful as possible." Aphrodite leans forward. "I came to see you for a good reason. Do you remember how I promised you a great love?" She asks. My mind flips back to when I left Olympus. That was her gift to me. I shudder at the thought. Love is the last thing on my mind with an impending war.

"I do," I answer curtly.

"Well, Apollo convinced me to make some changes to that."

This couldn't be good. Knowing her, I now have two lovers that will fight over me and I'll have to make a tough decision. Or maybe it will end the same way Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet ended. "What sort of changes?" I question with caution.

Aphrodite pretends to clean her nails. "Though I really want you to have your wonderful romance, Apollo spoke reason. He said that you need friendship more than everything. Old prophecies are impossible to change, but new? Not so much. I tweaked the words slightly. You'll have a great friendship." She beams. "I found someone who needs a great friendship as much as you do, so it just clicked!" I follow her gaze to Nico who is trying to blend in with the shadows.

My lips burst into a smile. _This_ is a proper gift. For once she got something right. I'll have to thank Apollo the next time I see him. "Thank you, mom!" I exclaim.

The goddess's face, if it's even possible, bursts with even more happiness. "You're welcome, dear. But just so you know, anything else that happens is all your doing. This goddess is done interfering with your love life. Unless you ask me to, of course." She stands up. "Goodbye. Remember, I'm always watching."

My smile fades with the sudden realization that I have taken her for granted. All these years I have been bitter about her being a faint presence in my life. If the time in Camp Halfblood has taught me anything, it's that the gods are not one of the few constants in a demigod's life. I have been blessed to know my mother better than most of my peers do. Despite that, I haven't taken the time to appreciate her. I can't even remember the last time that I told her I loved her.

"Stay," I blurt out. "You should stay for a while."

Aphrodite places a calming hand on my arm. "I wish I could but I have to go. A goddess's job is never done. Goodbye, Aikarina."

"Goodbye, Aphro— I mean mother."

She fades before my eyes. Next time I promise that I'll tell her I love her. Next time.

With a heavy heart, I walk back to Nico.

His brown eyes snap up to my hair. The demigod's eyebrows draw together. "What happened to your hair? It looks... normal," says Nico.

"Is normal bad?"

He shakes his head. "No. But I think that weird colored hair is cool." The Son of Hades sips quietly from his Dr. Pepper.

A small surge of power rushes through my scalp. The blonde in my hair washes away to the color of the sky. My hair curls into small, blue ringlets.

Nico chuckles softly, as if he's afraid of anyone hearing him laugh. "That's a pretty color. Definitely weird for hair."

The song changes to a slower pace. Couples leisurely grab each other. Annabeth exits the dance floor looking down at her feet. It must be because of the 'presents' Hera has been sending her. She has complained to me many times about how she lives in constant fear of stepping in manure. Though it would be low, even for Hera, to have her step in a cow pie in the middle of a wedding. Because of my fight with Hera, I have been on my guard, too. However, she hasn't sent any rogue cows to attack me. Yet.

Nico's eyes eagerly scan the dance floor. "Where's Percy?"

She shrugs. "Last I saw, him and Paul where break-dancing." Her grey eyes narrow significantly. "He's probably talking to Rachel right now." The corners of Nico's mouth curve downwards at this new information.

Annabeth plops down in the chair next to me. She digs through my purse for a piece of chocolate. The Daughter of Athena angrily pops the sweet into her scowling mouth. Her eyes momentarily flick up to my hair. She gives me a thumbs up.

Nico holds up his can of pop. "I'm going to get something more to drink."

I stand up too. "I'll come with. I'm running low on Sprite."

We scope out the bar surrounded by drunk adults. The bumbling people make this incredibly difficult to get our non-alcoholic drinks. Nico leads the way, weaving between the older people with me in tow. Several people eye my hair. There is a mix of opinion. The older people tend to roll their eyes at its color while the younger nods appreciatively. Percy tilts his head at the color then shrugs from the edge of the dance floor. Weirder things have happened than someone's hair changing colors.

He digs into the pocket of his dress pants. Nico pulls out several wadded pieces of money. It's odd how alcohol is free at the wedding but not pop. It's somewhat insulting to us who are younger than twenty-one.

I lean against the bar. Nico leans over it to grab our pop. Right as he turns to hand me my drink, _it_ happens.

A fumbling man bumps into my back as he hops off the bar stool. I stumble forward, right into Nico. He tries to catch me, and he does. But not before our faces smash together into an unorthodox kiss.

Our eyes widen in shock. We jump apart so fast it's like we are being electrocuted. Nico looks stunned. His face is the epitome of shocked. My fingers trace my lips. They still buzz. Inside my heart races at a million miles per hour.

Nico's mouth finally snaps shut. "I'm... ah... going to go now." Before I can react, the boy is gone.

What just happened?

* * *

><p><strong>October 28th<strong>

Two weeks later and the kiss at the wedding is still clear in my mind. Nico hasn't made any attempt to talk to me. I haven't heard a thing. Not even a single Iris message. For a while I thought about Iris messaging him, but I always make up excuses not to. What I need is to talk to someone about it. Someone who I know won't tell anyone else and will give good advice.

My first choice is Ava. And just as I'm about to Iris message her, I remember.

My second choice is Annabeth, but she flew back to San Francisco days ago. I can always Iris message her, but her family isn't so keen about the Greek stuff. The last thing I want is to cause trouble for her at home.

I smack myself for not thinking of her first. Silena will be more than happy to listen to me talk about a boy. In fact, I think she will be excited that I'm showing an interest in someone. Even though she will never drop the subject for as long as I live, I have to talk to someone. Having her bring it up at any given moment is a price I will have to pay.

By the lake there is a rock that sprays up water in a choppy mist. Campers take turns using it to call home. The signal isn't the best, so most campers prefer using a spray bottle, but at least it works. Plus, my hand won't get tired.

With my bag of drachmas, I run along the edge of the lake. The Apollo cabin is busy shooting arrows at another lake monster. Their cheers can be heard from all the way over by the rock wall. When I reach the rock, I get comfortable. My hair changes to a dark brown with stripes of red. It's nice being able to change my hair when I want to. I toss a drachma into the mist.

"Silena Beauregard."

The mist forms to show a picture of Silena milking a cow. She hums softly, still looking fabulous in her overalls and dirt smudged body.

"Silena?"

She nearly falls over on her stool. Silena looks around until her eyes fall on the Iris message. My sister smiles. "Rina! Wow it's—" She leans forward with wide eyes. "Your hair! I love it!"

My cheeks light up with pride. "Really?"

Silena nods eagerly. "Really," she confirms. "So, what's up?"

"I kissed Nico," I blurt out. Her mouth falls open in shock. "Well, I didn't really... we kind of fell on each other but... our lips touched."

Her face screws up with concentration. "Nico? Nico di Angelo?"

I roll my eyes. "That's the only Nico we know." Silena tilts her head in thought. Suddenly I feel incredibly self-conscious. "What?"

She bites her lip. "I don't know. I just thought..." she trails off to a murmur. As soon as she fell into the slump, she brightens up. Silena leans forward as if I have good gossip. "So, do you like him now?" She wiggles her eyebrows.

I fall silent. Do I? No, I can't. We're friends. Just friends.

"No! Why would you think that?"

The disappointment is visible on her face. "Sure, that's why you're calling me to talk about it because you don't like him."

I clench my fists. "I don't! I just need to talk to about this to someone."

Silena grins. "And I'm happy that you thought of me, but it sounds like you need to talk to him instead."

She does have a point. Nico is the one person I need to talk to to clean up this entire problem. I slump against the rock. "You're right. I'll go talk to him."

"Good, when—"

"Hey!" A small kid pops out from behind the tree. He scowls at me. "Stop hogging it! Other people need to Iris message people too!"

"Scram! I'm talking to my sister!" I growl back. His eyes widen. He won't be back for a while.

Silena hides a giggle behind her hand. "Gods you're mean."

I tilt my head. "I prefer the term stern."

My sister rolls her eyes. "Just go talk to him."

* * *

><p><strong>September 5th<strong>

It has taken far too long for me to gather the courage to talk to him. Over a month has passed with neither of us saying a thing. It's pathetic how I just sit here wondering what I should say. To be honest, I prefer fighting monsters than talking about the surprise kiss.

Why is it such a big deal? It shouldn't be! We've never had trouble talking about things before. Why is it hard now? Plus, it's just a simple misunderstanding. I can't wait till we clear this up.

After yelling at some younger campers to give a girl some privacy, I toss a drachma into the mist.

"Nico di Angelo."

The mist shimmers. His hair has grown longer. I doubt he's ever going to cut it. My heart flutters, but I quickly ignore that. His eyes widen when he sees me in the Iris message. We sit for several seconds in silence, neither knowing what to say.

"Hi," I say after some time of silence.

"Hi."

Another moment of silence. "So about _that thing_," I start.

He shakes his head. "It's fine. You were pushed. It's nothing."

Obviously it's not nothing if we haven't talked for over a month, but I don't tell him that.

My grin starts to feel false. "Yeah. Absolutely nothing."

Nico opens his mouth, as if to tell me something, but abruptly shuts it. He wrings his hands together. "You're my best friend, you know that right?"

"And you're mine." I frown. "Nico, are you okay?"

He shrugs. "Just... figuring things out. I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Nico."

"Bye, Rina." He cuts his hand through the message.

That was a very unsatisfying conversation. At least it's out of the way, but I have a bad feeling that he didn't want to talk to me. Why else would he say goodbye so quickly?

I sigh. I guess I will never know unless Nico tells me himself.

* * *

><p><strong>December 14th<strong>

_Picture where you want to go in your mind._

Well, I'm picturing and nothing is happening.

I twist the grass in my hands and picture the Aphrodite cabin as hard as I can. The image is clear in my mind. Why isn't it working? If only I was still in Olympus. Maybe Apollo or Athena would help me. It seems very unlikely that they'll pop down to teach me something that they never would've told me about in the first place.

"Rina?" Clarisse shouts.

I groan. "_Another one?_"

"Just come on! There's a lot of monsters to kill!"

I stand up. At first these 'missions' were fun, to an extent. We killed monsters and occasionally brought things back to camp that they dropped. But now it's repetitive. Someone has to do it, though. Monsters are showing up more, posing a threat to everyone.

"I'm coming!" _Again_.

* * *

><p><strong>March 17th<strong>

I run up to Silena and engulf her in a large hug. After a series of monster attacks, Silena has come back to camp.

"I'm so happy that you're back!" I exclaim. "Our cabin was getting lonely. I was beginning to hope for one of our half-siblings to show up just to make it less quiet around here."

She snorts. "I really hope they don't for their sake." Silena drags her suitcase to our cabin. "Why do you hate them so much?" She asks suddenly.

My mouth screws into a frown. "Have you seen the way they treat me?"

My sister kicks open the door. "And that's wrong, but respect is a two-way street. If you send them some respect, I'm sure they will give you some in return."

Silena places her suitcase on her bed. I readily help her unpack her clothes and weapons.

"Doubt it," I mumble under my breath.

She sighs. "If I convince them to give you a chance, will you do so too? I care about all of you guys. It's horrible when you fight with them."

Anger grows in the pit of my stomach. "I fight with them? They're practically attacking me!" I plop down on her bed. "I'll stop fighting them when they stop being rude!"

Silena places a hand on my shoulder. "At least try. For me."

The anger inside of my quickly dissolves. She's my sister. I can't stay mad at her. I huff loudly. "Fine. If you can convince them to show me a little respect, I promise that I'll be nice to them."

"Good! Now help me put new sheets on the bed."

* * *

><p><strong>June 5th<strong>

"How was San Francisco?"

Annabeth blows her hair out of her face. "As good as I expected, I guess," she tells me cryptically.

When Drew passes by, she waves hello to me. Still in a daze at how kindly my half-siblings are treating me, I wave back. Silena sure is a persuasive person. She stuck to her end of the deal of convincing them to show some kindness. Now it's my turn. I haven't yelled at anyone or threatened to cut off their hair in their sleep. This is definitely a large improvement.

The Daughter of Athena raises an eyebrow. "I see you're getting along with your cabin," Annabeth comments.

"Mmhm. It's really weird. A good weird, but weird."

Her cheeks light up slightly, like two tiny rose petals. "Where's Percy? Usually he's here at camp already."

I bite nervously on my lip. "He's been... doing things."

Annabeth immediately sees through me. Her grey eyes narrow into two slits. She glares at a tree like it did her a terrible wrong. "Doing things with Rachel?"

"Well, not those kind of things," I correct quickly. "They're just friends."

She throws her hands in the air with exasperation. "I don't care! He can be friends with a mortal. It's not my problem." Annabeth stands up abruptly. "Come on. I heard that Clarisse is going on a scouting mission and I want to see the monster situation."

I fight back a groan. "Trust me, it's bad. This will be the fifth scouting mission this week."

Annabeth smiles. "Then let's help the camp fight back. Nothing is stronger than demigods working for a single cause."

All demigods aren't united, though, but I don't need to say that. We all already know. Many are helping Kronos, which limits Camp Halfblood's ability to fight off monsters.

We need to do much more than some scouting missions. We need a miracle.


	28. Chapter 28

**I am so so sorry for the long wait. I have been very busy with school. In about a week I have two AP tests that I have to study for and then finals, so this is a busy time for me. But school will be finished in about a couple of weeks, so I will have more time to write. Updates will be more regular then :) Thank you for being patient and I'm sorry it's short.**

**Guest: Thank you so much! That means a lot to me that my story meshes with canon. I'm glad that it is :)**

**Stellar Nymph: Haha yeah... I'm not the best at updating right now. And I think I went back to change Apollo's haiku to the right syllables, but I'll have to check**

**EarthlyRain: Thank you :) I hope you enjoy this update!**

**Outlandish Dreamer: I felt like laughing evilly while writing it haha. Whoops, haha. Every time I go back and reread my chapters, I find little issues. I'm currently going back and making edits, so I'll fix it eventually. Yeah, Percy and Annabeth are about that old and Rina is about Nico's age, so still pretty young. Thank you for understanding that I take a while to update**

**The Ancient Pheonix: Yes, she can, but Rina hasn't really explored all her abilities yet so she doesn't currently use charmspeak. I want to tell you more, but it might spoil something in the future haha. Thank you so much. Your comment made me smile. I didn't want to kill Ava off, but I had to. War isn't pretty. And someone innocent like Ava dying shows how awful it is. And thank you for the offer :) I might take you up on it if I can't figure out a word, but I'm taking college spanish right now so I might be fine.**

* * *

><p>I crouch underneath the workbench. They will never find me here.<p>

Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. They were... _unnaturally kind_. Something tells me that maybe Silena's charmspeak is a little too strong. If their happy grins weren't enough to creep me out, it was the way they stuffed me into their clothes. I ran out half-way through my 'makeover session', wearing only one stiletto and a pink dress. My gut twists when I think about what else they will force on me.

Not that I have anything against makeovers. Those are great. If it was anyone else, it would've been fun. But, oh gods, my half-siblings sure know how to creep someone out.

"Hello?"

I peek my head out from the table. "Shush! They'll hear you!" I hiss.

"Rina?" Charles's eyes find me in the dim light. He hovers closer through the dark workshop. "What are you doing here so early in the morning? Shouldn't you be at breakfast?"

"Can't. I'm too busy hiding," I respond bitterly.

The Son of Hephaestus moves on his heels, back and forth. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I bury my head in between my knees. "Not really. You'll probably just run and tell Silena everything, and I really don't want her to think anything is wrong."

The burly camper drops down to the ground. Beckendorf gestures for me to make room underneath the bench. For us to both fit, I squeeze against the wall and the leg of the bench. Even then his wide shoulders barely fit and he has to bend his head down in a neck-breaking position. Charles grimaces in an attempt at a smile. "I swear that I won't tell Silena a thing."

"Swear on the River Styx?"

He rolls his eyes. "I swear on the River Styx. Whatever is bothering you will stay between us." A rumble of thunder echoes throughout the camp. "So... what happened?"

I sigh. "My half-siblings decided to include me in their morning routine. And it's all Silena's fault for suggesting it!"

"I'm sure she meant—"

A groan escapes my lips. "Just because she's your girlfriend it doesn't mean that you have to defend her!"

Charles stiffles a chuckle. "I'm pretty sure that's in the job requirements." I glare until his laugh dies out. Beckendorf frowns. "Which one did you have a problem with? The makeover or spending time with your siblings?"

My hands twist the end of my dress. "Spending time with them," I admit. "It's not like I don't want to," I rush out before Beckendorf gets the wrong idea. "I want to be friends with them. Fighting with them is so exhausting. In fact, maybe someday, if things keep going like this, we can be like a giant family."

He gently nudges me with his huge arm. "Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that it feels fake! Ever since Silena talked to them, it feels like those bad reality tv shows in Olympus."

Beckendorf places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Just give it time. A lot of relationships start out feeling forced. Get to know your siblings, and soon enough it will feel real." He smiles. "Trust me, I have first-hand experience." He eagerly crawls out from under the workbench. Charles pulls me out with him. "Come on, I want to show you something that will make you feel better. It'll make you forget all about your family bonding time."

I follow him through the workshop. Charles stops infront of his personal bench. He hands me several blueprints. I examine them with awe.

"You're making a dragon?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No, I _already_ built a dragon." Charles glows with pride. "There's still some minor glitches, but my baby runs just fine."

I read the measurements on the neatly printed blueprints. This thing is huge. "Where are you keeping it?" I ask. "It must be difficult to hide something this big from an entire camp."

He places a finger on his lip in the universal sign for a secret. "Sorry, can't tell you. Hephaestus cabin only. But," he drawls out, "after Percy and I return from blowing up a boat full of monsters, I've been thinking of taking Silena out to see it. You should come with."

"That sounds amazing." My fingers drum on the edge of the workbench. "When are you leaving?"

The Son of Hephaestus shrugs. "Maybe in a couple of hours. We have to act fast."

Despite my best efforts, all the words I want to say stay lodged in my throat. Instead I turn to the words every camper is expected to say to those who leave on missions. "Stay safe and kill us some monsters."

"I plan on it."

* * *

><p>Silena latches herself to her boyfriend. She is hugging him so hard that I think she's trying to break one of his ribs so Charles doesn't have to go. This isn't his first time going out to blow up some monsters. He blew up a tour bus full of them a couple weeks ago, and that was all by himself. With Percy by his side, he will be just fine. Silena has nothing to worry about.<p>

"Iris message me right away if something goes wrong and you can't come right back to camp. Okay?" Silena gushes out. "Don't let me worry longer than necessary."

Beckendorf smiles. "I promise that you will be the first to know."

My sister sighs. "Maybe I should come with you. You know, just in case you need me."

Clarisse shuffles in her spot, feeling awkward from the public affection. She isn't really friends with Charles. But ever since Silena helped her with her 'boy troubles', the two have been quite the pair of friends. Clarisse would never pass up an opportunity to give a friend extra support. "Hey, Percy will be with him," Clarisse reassures her. "He's an idiot, but he's good with a sword." A large frown takes over her face. "Gods, please don't tell him I said that."

Charles nods. He leans down so that he can look his girlfriend in the eyes. "I've always come back, haven't I?"

Silena sniffles, but quickly mutters a 'yes'.

The Son of Hephaestus kisses her on the forehead. "This isn't too different as the tour bus. It's in and out. We will be back in no time." He hops onto the Blackjack's back. The pegasus moves his hooves eagerly.

She takes his hand in a last show of affection. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Silena reluctantly steps away. Charles urges Blackjack forward. In a matter of seconds, the two are flying out of Camp Halfblood's boundaries.

I hug my sister, already anticipating the worried rants that are sure to follow. Silena is strong. She manages to keep a level head most of the time, so she won't be hysterically crying the entire time. No, she lets out all her fear and worry in the form of quickly spoken words.

Silena hugs me back. "Oh gods, Rina. I just worry about him so much. This is much bigger than the—"

I roll my eyes. "Remember how worried you were about his last dozen mission? You'll laugh about how you're acting later. Charles and Percy will watch each other's backs."

"You're right," she says. "You're right. Charlie will be just fine."

* * *

><p>"Charlie is not okay!" Silena gasps out over her untouched breakfast. Her face is bright green as she eyes her breakfast. It has been almost a day and there hasn't been any sign of Percy or Charles.<p>

Lacy looks up from her meal. "Do you really think so?"

My sister's face changes from the color of iceberg lettuce to freshly watered grass. "Charlie would've sent an iris message by now if he was okay." She runs her hands through her hair. "Charlie, oh Charlie. I knew I shouldn't have let him go. I _knew_ it."

Lacy frowns. "Well, I don't think so." Silena sharply stares at her. "Beckendorf is smart. There isn't a thing he can't fix. He's a problem solver." She toys with her camp necklace with only one bead on the string. "Beckendorf must be in a pretty nasty problem right now, but he can figure it out. I know he can." My half-sister grins. "Just have faith."

Silena clams down slightly. She mutters 'have faith' to herself like a mantra.

Suddenly, horn echoes across the camp. Percy and Charles are back. My sister perks up, finally realizing that her worrying was for nothing. A relieved giggle leaves her mouth. The Silena I know and love is back.

A crowd is already forming around the arrivals. It isn't until I get closer that I see the pale faces of my fellow campers. _Oh gods_. Silena's smile slips only slightly. We power through the crowd. Percy stands in the center, looking guilty. His clothes are torn in several places, which isn't uncommon for a camper during these times. His face reflects all of our grief. Beckendorf is nowhere to be seen.

Silena looks around wildly. "Where's Charlie?" she demands.

Percy opens his mouth to respond, but only gapes like a fish. He turns to Chiron for help. I lace my fingers through hers. She needs support more than ever.

Chiron clears his throat. "Silena, perhaps it will be best to talk about this in the—"

"No," she mutters. Her face screws up with tears. "_No, no, no._ Not him. Not my Charlie."

I close my eyes to keep the tears from coming. It is important to be strong during these times. But I can't help but think that death is all I will ever see from here on out. First Ava. Now Charles. Are more good campers going to die? I'm not sure if I want to stick around and see my friends' young lives end. Leaving Camp Halfblood suddenly seems like an appealing choice. As long as it gets me away from the death.

Charlie didn't deserve to die. He had so much more to do. He still needs to lead a cabin into war. Beckendorf can't do that if he's dead. He can't build dragons in the Underworld.

Clarisse puts her arm around Silena. The Daughter of Aphrodite clasps to me with one hand and the Daughter of Ares with her other. Clarisse's hard face morphs to one of compassion. "Come on, girl. Let's head back to the Big House. We can get you some hot cocoa." She looks up at me. "Are you coming with, Rina, or..." _or do you want to hear how it happened?_

I shake my head. I have to know. I have to know that his death meant something. Ava's death was too sudden. Her death had no purpose except to cause the most misery to us campers. The fates were cruel for no reason, but maybe Beckendorf's death was a part of something bigger. Gods, I swear if he was taken just so the fates could laugh at our tears, I will leave and never come back. There has to be somewhere on this earth that I can escape it all. There's only so much I can take.

Silena lets go of my head. Her head is turned to the ground. Clarisse carefully urges her towards the Big House.

Annabeth joins my side as the crowd leaves. Her grey eyes search my face. "Are you going to be okay?"

_No._ "I will be fine. Don't worry."

She leans against me so we are shoulder to shoulder. It isn't much, but the gesture is enough to soothe a part of my grief. Annabeth wipes the drying tears from her eyes. Her eyes find Percy. "I'm glad you aren't dead, Seaweed Brain."

He manages a small smile. Though layered with sadness, it's still a smile. "Thanks. Me too."

"I'm glad someone came back," I whisper.

Chiron places a hand on Percy's shoulder. "I'm sure you did everything you could. Will you please tell us what happened?"

My fingers trace the outline of my belt in a calming motion. Percy told his story. I find myself wishing that he would at least keep out some details. Instead, he describes it as accurately as possible. My stomach twists into two angry coils as he tells us about Beckendorf's death. I only grow angrier when he mentions that there is a spy in the camp. Becaause of how things are going, if I ever find out who the spy is, I won't hesitate to send them to the Underworld. What kind of person would do such a thing? A bad one, that's who.

"We must call a war council immediately, to discuss the spy and other matters," Chiron says.

I step away from the three. "I... I'm going to go back to the Big House."

The centuar nods. "Will you please gather the council and have everyone seated? We must start immediately."

"I can do that."

"Good, now Percy, let's show you the full prophecy."


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys! I'm happy to be back. Sorry for the wait, but I get so stuck every time I try to write something for this story. My brain just quits working haha. But anyways, here it is. I hope you guys enjoy.**

**Stellar Nymph: I'm dreading/looking forward to writing the point where Rina figures it all out. Trust me, it's going to be intense.**

**Poseidon's Slytherclaw Erudite: Me too :( It's one of the saddest parts in the book**

**The Ancient Phoenix: Ahh don't cry :'(. Thank you for the offer. I might take you up on it if I need any translations. A person who actually speaks the language is much more reliable than google translate. And thank you!**

**TigerL1ly81: Thank you so so much for your sweet review. I agree with the quest thing. They aren't that common so it wouldn't be right to send Rina on a quest every other update. :) thank you for being so nice**

**SarcasticSeaSass: Wow! I'm so happy that you've stuck with my story for so long, then. It's amazing that my story inspired you to write your own story. I'm sure it's amazing and I'm happy that you're writing about something you like. Thank you so much for your amazing review :)**

**amerdism: Thank you!**

**Outlandish Dreamer: I never would have noticed if you didn't review! That's such a long time. I can barely believe it.**

* * *

><p>"YOU TWO ARE ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!"<p>

Michael and Clarisse's eyes snap to me with the same ferocity as lions hunting prey

The Son of Apollo gestures wildly to my friend. "She's the one who is acting childish! It's our loot," he yells.

Clarisse's chest puffs up with anger. She reaches back for her electric spear. Michael, who has some common sense, backs up. His hand stretches for his bow.

My hair turns the brightest red I can imagine. Several of the cabin leaders blanch at the sudden change. I jab my finger at Clarisse and Michael. "Just. Stop. It. Both of you."

"Tell him to give us what the Ares cabin deserves," Clarisse sneers. Her hand is dangerously close to her spear.

Michael scoffs. "You guys deserve nothing. Like I've said before, and will say again: it's our loot."

I slam my fist on the table. How dare they? After everything that has happened, they don't have the decency to stop fighting for one moment. The stupid loot is nothing compared to the problems happening at camp.

"Both of you are ridiculous." I shake my head. "Too much has happened today. For the love of all the gods, stop fighting for one hour. All I'm asking is for an hour of peace. For Silena."

Michael's face whitens as he realizes what he's doing, just mere minutes after we found out about Charles's death. He plops down in his chair and places his face in his hands. Clarisse still boils with rage. It radiates off of her in seismic waves. But when she sees Michael give up fighting, she sits down too.

Travis Stoll whistles in amazement. "We all have been trying to get them to shut up for days, and it only took you a minute to make them quiet? Impressive."

"Just shut up," I growl half-heartedly while Clarisse and Michael scowl at the Stoll.

Finally, I take my seat. Silena leans into my shoulder. Her eyes glaze over as she chews on a chocolate bar I found in my pocket. She has been in a sort of vegetative state ever since we found out about Charles. Silena did not take his death well, but nobody expected her to. They were close, so of course she isn't doing fine.

"Do you want me to go?" I quietly ask her. Her eyes snap up to mine. "I'm technically not a cabin leader."

Silena's eyes fall back to the table. "Chiron won't mind," she replies quietly. Her hand wraps around mine, as if to keep her attached to me forever. Well, there's my answer.

Percy enters the room, finding it eerily quiet. His eyes find an empty chair right across from Clarisse. Since she is still visibly stewing with anger, that only makes the spot more undesirable to him. He takes his seat despite the bad location.

Clarisse crushes a ping pong ball between her fingers. "Look who finally decided to arrive."

Percy narrows his green eyes. "I was busy talking to—"

"Chiron," she finishes. "I know. But don't you think that it's a little weird that out of all of us, you have helped out the least?"

I grit my teeth. "Stop trying to pick a fight," I snap. Even I am getting irritated with Clarisse. She only rolls her eyes. Chiron clops in and takes his seat at the front of the table. The centaur instantly picks up on the tension.

Her glare shifts over to me. "This is a fight worth picking, Rina. He's done absolutely nothing to help out the camp."

Percy's mouth falls open in shock. "I literally just blew up a cruise ship full of monsters!"

"No, you didn't," she snarls. "Ch—" Clarisse sneaks a glance at Silena. "He blew up the cruise ship. All you probably did was wave your sword around like a baton."

I untangle my hand from Silena's. Clarisse is hurting. That much is clear. And when a Child of Ares is hurting, they tend to lash out at others. I can empathize with that. But this… this is just searching for anything to make a fuss about. This is scraping the bottom of the barrel for a fight.

"What is your problem?" I cry out. Chiron opens his mouth, probably to say something to calm everyone down, but I don't give him a chance. "I get it. You didn't get your freaking loot. But just because you didn't get what you wanted doesn't mean that you get to attack Percy! He's done nothing to deserve this."

"Exactly!" Clarisse throws her arms in the air. "He's done nothing. How many scouting missions did he go on this entire year?"

"What are you—"

"Four! A grand total of four. Together you and I have been on at least fifty these last six months!" Her arms shake by her sides. Percy's eyes grow wide as she leans towards him. "I don't care if you're the chosen one or not. But if you're truly team Camp Halfblood, you would have helped pull your weight. That's all the Ares Cabin have been doing! We have been pulling everyone's weight. Us, Rina, and the demigods who can actually fight have been doing all the dirty work while—"

"Clarisse!" Chiron booms. "That is enough!"

She shakes her head. "No. I've had enough of this. Enough of everyone stomping over the Ares Cabin and making us do everything!" She glares across the table. "All of you can fight the war without us. Have fun dying." With one final scowl, she stomps from the room.

Everyone is stunned to silence. I consider chasing after her, but that will only make things worse. Clarisse requires her time to cool off and Silena needs me. I can't just leave her here, especially when she's like this. She hasn't even reacted to the fight. It was like it hadn't even happened right before her eyes.

When it feels like we will be stuck forever in silence, Michael Yew speaks up.

"Good riddance," he mutters.

"Good riddance?" I repeat with a slack jaw. "That's all you have to say?"

Michael nods. "We'll be better without her. She's a hot-headed, arr—"

I find myself getting out of my seat, again. Michael has no right at all to insult her. Criticizing Clarisse when she is around is one thing (she claims that it helps fuel her up for fights and lets her figure out which demigods she should waste her time with), but doing it behind her back is just not right.

"Clarisse is also our best fighter! Not only that, she took out the entire Ares Cabin with her. Chiron, we're screwed without her," I tell him.

Annabeth, who has been quiet for the entire time, sits down in an empty chair at the other end of the table. "She's right. A lot of the defence strategies that we've drawn up involve the Ares Cabin in some way."

The Centaur rubs a hand through his beard. His eyebrows come together in thought. "Rina, perhaps later on you can speak to her and make her see some sense. I'm sure she will come around."

My hand curls around Silena's. "I can do that, but she won't listen to me."

"She will," Chiron insists. "But. Annabeth, just in case, have your cabin draw up more plans without the Ares Cabin. We must be prepared for every situation should it arise."

The blonde nods obediently.

"Now, if you please, Percy has brought something to share with us all: The Great Prophecy," he announces.

Percy takes a small scroll from Annabeth. The paper crinkles in his fingers. He fumbles with the string, one knot really irritating him.

"Do you need a knife?" I offer.

One sharp glance from Chiron is enough to know that that wasn't the right question. When I think about it, using a knife on the Great Prophecy seems crude.

Without a sharp blade, he eventually unrolls the paper. He squints his green eyes. "A halfblood of the eldest gods… shall reach sixteen against all odds… and see the world in endless sleep… the hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

He pauses. That can't be all of it. That was too short to be a prophecy. After a quiet encouragement from Chiron, Percy continues.

"A single choice shall end his days… Olympus to per—persue—"

"Preserve," Annabeth offers gently. "It means to—"

"I know what it means. Olympus to preserve or raze."

Finally, Connor Stoll bounces up. "Raise is good. Isn't it, guys?"

Silena lifts her head higher. "Not raise as in r-a-i-s-e. It means raze as r-a-z-e. That means to destroy," she informs him. My sister flutters shut her eyes, almost like she's sleeping.

Connor lets out a quiet 'oh'.

"You see now, Percy," Chiron starts, "why we did not tell you the whole prophecy. You already had enough on your shoulders."

Percy's face tightens. "Without realizing I was going to die in the end? Yeah, I get it."

"You might not die, you know," I say.

Annabeth's back straightens. She nods. "Prophecies often have double meanings."

The demigod looks more tired now than I have ever seen him. "There's not a lot of meanings other than death for 'a single choice shall end his days'" he grumbles.

"I can think of some other options," I speak up. All eyes turn to me. "During the creation of the world, there was no light, so quite literally no days. Or maybe there's… someplace on earth that is always night. I haven't heard of it, but I bet it's out there. Don't just assume it means death."

Percy tries to smile. "Thanks, Rina, but that'd be a longshot."

Jake Mason, the temporary head of Hephaestus Cabin, contributes to the conversation. His voice is quiet and unsure, but he does his best to get his point across. "Maybe we can stop it by destroying the cursed blade. It sounds like Kronos's scythe, right."

"How do you destroy something like that?" I ask. "It's cursed. It can't be as easy as snapping it in half."

Jake bites the inside of his cheek. "There has to be something out there able to destroy it. Maybe Annabeth could search through some books. She's really good at finding that sort of stuff." His cheeks turn the slightest pink.

Annabeth tilts her head. "Yeah, I guess I could. It might be difficult though, but I'll try."

"Erm, maybe instead we should let Percy think about the lines instead of rushing into action," Chiron reasons.

Percy folds the paper in his hands. "No, I don't need any time. If I die, I die." He sets the paper on the table, somewhat afraid to touch it again. "Plus, there's other problems. We have a spy."

Silena's head tightens around mine. Her eyes squeeze shut so hard that her face crinkles. Small teardrops drip down her face.

"On the _Princess Andromeda_, Kronos knew we were coming. He was prepared. He also showed me a silver scythe pendant," Percy tells us. "He's using it to talk to someone in the camp."

"We've suspected a spy for years," Connor brings up. "Someone kept passing information to Luke. It has to be someone close to him." His eyes waver towards Annabeth.

"I reason that if Kronos has one, the spy must have the same penchant," Pollux says. "We all need to keep an eye out for one."

Michael Yew grunts. He kicks his feet under the table. "We need to find this spy before our next plan goes into action. Blowing up the boat won't stop Kronos for forever."

Chiron nods. He strokes his beard. "You're right. His next assault is already underway."

Percy's eyes widen. "Is this the 'bigger threat' Poseidon was talking about?"

The centaur turns to me. "Rina, can you please go see if you can convince Clarisse to rejoin this conversation? She is a crucial part of our defenses, after all. And this subject is one that she knows a lot about. Perhaps she will give us an interesting perspective."

I unwillingly unhook my hand from Silena's. Already I am moving towards the door. "And if she doesn't want to come?"

Chiron sighs. "There is no other option. We need to discuss our next course of action, or any action at all, with Typhon and Kronos."

Percy, who must've been studying up on his mythology, loudly exclaims 'Typhon!' as I exit the Big House. He's been kept out of the loop, but hopefully now Chiron will tell him everything he needs to know.

Clarisse has been a key part of the camp's defenses. She willingly took the lead. In fact, I think she was proud of all the work she did. She was so proud that it makes no sense for her to give up now. Sure, she wants the loot for the Ares cabin, but that is such a small thing in the scheme of things. Sometimes I don't know what's going on in her mind.

I spot her thrusting her spear into a dummy. Great. I feel sorry for the camper that has to re-stuff all the dummies she mutilates. My hair turns a dark blue. Blue is a calming color, and I need Clarisse to stay calm.

She grunts as she moves to her next target. The spear lands right in the stomach, spewing out fluff as she takes back her spear.

"Clarisse do—"

She whips around. "I will not help out unless I get my loot," Clarisse growls. "Am I getting it?"

I place my hands on my hips. "You know, the loot isn't the most important thing in the world. Come back to the Big House with me."

"No," she snaps back.

"Don't be greedy!" I reply. My fingers clench into two fists. Maybe I am not the best person to convince Clarisse to help out.

The Daughter of Ares throws her spear through a dummy's neck. "I don't want the loot because I'm greedy or that my cabin is greedy. It's because it's a metaphor for how often the Ares cabin gets screwed over by everyone else!"

I step between her and her spear. My arms cross over my chest. "You're being dramatic."

Clarisse narrows her eyes. "Please, you've noticed it too." She pushes my shoulder as she storms past me. "There is no respect whatsoever. They think we're their own private mercenaries." Suddenly all the anger fizzles out of her as she leans on her spear for support. "I just want us to be treated fairly instead of as emotionless soldiers. My siblings deserve more than they're getting."

I shake my head. "You're doing this all the wrong way, though. We need all of you guys to help fight off monsters and win the war."

"Well, that's just too bad then. We. Aren't. Fighting."

My lips curl in disgust. "Fine! Do what you want. But all that blood will be on your hands." Before she can say anything to convince me otherwise, I storm away. If she changes her mind, she'll know where to find me. And the gods know that I'll be back to keep convincing her. I'm not done with her yet, I just need her to think about it for now.

Dinner is as awkward as expected. Clarisse throws me both piercing glares and sad eyes, showing that she is more conflicted than I thought she was. Silena doesn't show up, but I'm pretty sure she wants to be alone… so not in our cabin. My half-siblings like to hang in there and eat strawberries if they don't feel like going to dinner.

Percy seems energetic. Much better than I would've acted had I just been told I was going to die. It's impressive, but I wonder how much of his energy is fake. Clarisse also said some nasty things to him. I swear if he took any of that to heart, I will give him a long talk about how much he has helped the camp. We all forgive him for not being as involved as he could have this summer. There's already so much on his plate.

I push my plate away and head back to my cabin. Hopefully, I can catch some sleep. Everything that has been going on has made me so tired lately. First Charles then Clarisse; this camp will be the death of me.

Drew sneers in my direction as I walk up to the cabin door. "Make it fast. Two campers aren't supposed to be left alone in the cabins."

My eyebrows rise. "What are you talking about?"

She gestures towards the door with a manicured nail. "Someone in there wants to talk to you. I'm just telling you to be quick. I have things to do."

I push open the door and am actually shocked by who I see.

"Nico? What are you doing here?"

He shoots up from my bed. His hair drops down to cover his eyes. Nico rubs the back of his head. "I came to talk."

I raise an eyebrow. "That's a change. You haven't talked to me in weeks."

He nods. "I know and I'm really sorry. I really am. There's just been things I needed to think about."

I frown. The messages between me and Nico have become as rare as unicorns. He just dropped off the edge of the earth, occasionally Iris messaging me to tell me that he's alive. It felt like he was avoiding me, so I didn't actively seek him out. Nico was just being Nico: occasionally moody and thinking too hard into things. I just accepted that I wasn't going to see him nearly as much as before, so I sort of let him go. All my pent up feelings —loneliness, rejection, maybe past remnants of a crush— rush back as a tidal wave.

Gods, I wish I didn't feel this relieved to see someone who makes no effort to see me.

"I was your best friend. You could've told me. I would've listened and help you figure it out," I tell him.

His face crumples. "You're… you're still my best friend."

"You've barely talked to me at all!" I exclaim. The tips of my hair turn black, slowly growing further and further up the strands. "You have ignored me for several months. That's not something best friends do."

Nico's face falls. He opens his mouth then closes it. Then does that again. "I'm gay," he says finally.

My jaw drops, but I recover. A thought enters my mind, and I don't like it at all. Jumping to conclusions might not be the best way to handle this, but I do it anyways. "Nico, were you avoiding me because you were ashamed? You shouldn't be. There's nothing wrong with being gay. I'll still love you no matter what." Dang it. I grimace at the use of the 'L' word.

He twists his fingers together. "Well, I mean, I'm not gay but I am." Nico looks like he's in pain. His eyes lock onto mine. "I think I like guys, but I also like girls. One girl, in fact. But…," he says while struggling to find the right words.

I take a step forward. "You know there's a word for that, right? Are you bisexual?"

Nico thinks for several moments then nods. "Yeah, I am. And I like you, Rina. A lot."

"You have a terrible way of showing it," I prod.

Nico grimaces. "I'm sorry for ignoring you. I didn't know what else to do."

"I don't agree with your methods, but I forgive you."

He lets out a sigh. "Thank you."

I find myself smiling. "Welcome back to Camp Halfblood."

Nico almost smiles. "I'm happy to see you again, Rina. I really missed you."


End file.
